


Moments Like These

by hunters_retreat



Series: Moments Like These [1]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, M/M, Post-Apocalypse, powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-24
Updated: 2011-09-24
Packaged: 2018-01-06 23:31:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1112801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hunters_retreat/pseuds/hunters_retreat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The cloud swept over everyone, leaving some unchanged, leaving others unable to stop the rage, and others still changed beyond belief. It had no respect for station or power and those left behind were forced to pick up the pieces and try to make it through the hardest winters in a century. Two years had gone by since Gibbs had seen his team. McGee was there with him, Ducky safely hidden away as a commodity in times when a real physician was rare. Every night, Gibbs found himself on the wall that surrounded his hometown and looked out for his missing members. He knew there were at least two still alive, fighting to get back to them.  He couldn't track them, didn't know how to find them in the mess they were left with, but if there was anything he knew, it was that Tony would bring Abby back to them.</p><p>Every night Tony went to sleep knowing he had to get Abby to Gibbs before their luck ran out again, before Abby became too weak and Tony was exposed for what he really was.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moments Like These

Harvest time. God, he hated that time of year. End of the season and everyone was beginning to wonder if the supplies would be enough, if they could hold out for the winter. If the last of the crops would be ready before the first big frost hit.  
  
Leroy Jethro Gibbs needed to be away from the noise of the compound that his hometown of Stillwater had become. He could feel McGee at his side, his agent ready to leave at his word. They were waiting for the rest of their contingent though, the people they were taking on their current foraging trip. Gibbs hated bringing civilians out away from the safety of their enclosed community but like everyone else, he was doing his best to find more supplies before the winter set in. Eight civilians, only two of them with any hunting experience, but the others could handle the preparation and storage of what food they found while he, McGee, and the other hunters worked their way into newer areas to seek out game to buffer their stores.  
  
He’d been content to stay in place for the last six months, content to wait in sleepy Stillwater for Tony to show up but now he needed to be on the move. He didn’t know what caused the itch in his feet, but this wasn’t the first time he’d felt the sudden need to move. McGee stayed with him for the same reason Gibbs always came back to his father’s shop at the end of a hunt or scavenging trip; the hope that Tony and Abby would have found their way to the compound.  
  
It’d been two years since they’d last had contact but before the phones had blacked out Tony said he and Abby would meet them there. Gibbs was still holding onto that hope because there was no other option. That first year, he’d tried to find Tony himself but there was no sign of him. Whatever Tony had to do to survive against the Cloud-Raged he’d gone to ground hard and fast and Gibbs knew there was no hope of tracing him.  
  
So he was biding his time, making a place for Tony and Abby. His father reminded him over and over again that if there was anyone capable of getting there it was Tony but Jackson’s words were a cold comfort. Cars were mostly defunct and most travel had to be done on foot but it had been two years and that was more than enough time for Tony to make the journey. Plenty of time, and yet Gibbs still stood on the outpost wall every sunrise and sunset to see if his missing second in command was going to show.  
  
He was there now, looking into the desolation that was their new world. Almost three years since the sky had turned to ash in the wake of meteorite showers. At first, the environment was their biggest concern, scientists talking back and forth about the impact of the dust cloud and the winds and global warming, ice caps melting and the whole array of trendy topics of the moment. Two months later though and they realized there was more to worry about than a harsh winter. Three months later and everything went to hell. The Cloud-Rage hit and half the population turned violently on the other, killing with a ferocity that earned them their name. It was then that communications went out planet wide and men who had no orders pushed buttons that brought down bombardments with no purpose other than to kill. Tony had been with Abby in Mexico at a conference when the bombs had hit. That was before they understood the Cloud-Ragers or the Cloud-Deviants. They still didn’t have a clear scientific understanding of what had happened but the general consensus was that the meteorites that had pelted the earth’s surface had contaminated the atmosphere with an alien pathogen, one that mutated the human DNA in ways that no one could have predicted.  
  
No one outside the comic book industry anyway.  
  
Not everyone was affected. Some people got the Cloud-Rage and others didn’t. The Cloud-Deviants were easy to spot, their skin mottled to show to what degree they’d been affected. They had a few in the camp but they were well protected and never left the compound. Their gifts were too valuable and being on the outside was a sure way to get themselves captured by someone who wanted to use them.  
  
“Boss, looks like trouble on the horizon.”  
  
McGee was always one to state the obvious. If Tony were there, he’d call him on it, but the familiarity of it settled Gibbs. McGee’s eyes were on the dark figures that were approaching the main gates and Gibbs looked past him as the claxon sounded. He watched as men and women filled the vacant spots on the wall, preparing for whatever came.  
  
He saw Jimmy climbing the stairs and hated the necessity. The former autopsy gremlin had a grim look on his face and it matched the markings on his face too closely. Jimmy’s kind, goofy grin always looked out of place on a Dun’s face. He was the first of the Cloud-Deviants they’d come across, one of their own and suddenly lost because with the markings he carried came the powers that Duns gained.  
  
Jimmy’s once pale face was now decorated with a dark black stripe down the center of his nose and a matching band encircled his neck and wrists. When they’d found him he’d been crawling on the floor, begging Ducky to make it stop. They’d been close to Stillwater when the bombs hit and somehow the destruction had forced Jimmy’s gifts to develop. He was on the front wave of the Deviants who turned and the only thing Gibbs could think to do was get him someplace safe. Stillwater became their safe haven and when the Ragers hit they’d built the walls to keep it that way.  
  
It’d taken months to get Jimmy to be able to speak coherently and then they’d learned that he’d been imprisoned in his own head by the feelings and emotions of the people around him. Once he’d learned to channel it, he’d found a way to use it but it had been a hard year for Jimmy. More than once they’d had to defend him against people’s fear and then against the people that wanted to use his powers for their own good.  
  
He wasn’t the only Dun in the community. They had a fair number of Roans, Deviants who had little actual power but who’s skin was all over covered in a coating that made their skin change colors in the right light. They were the most common of the Deviants and the least likely to run into trouble. Their powers were just tricks really and the only reason to cage them was fear or sport. He’d heard of more than one Cloud-Fight where Ragers were thrown in a ring with Deviants who couldn’t find a home or were caught and couldn’t be sold quick enough. It sickened Gibbs to think of people paying money to watch two people kill one another but he knew it happened. It made him all the more protective of the people they had in their compound.  
  
Duns, like Jimmy, were rare. They had the same markings though it varied as to whether they were white or black; a stripe down the nose and bands around the neck, ankles, and wrists. They had more power and Gibbs had yet to meet two Duns who could do the same thing.  
The last of the Deviants were the Paints. They were the ones that earned the whole lot their names, men and women who had splotches of color on their bodies. He’d seen a few from a distance, but only one up close. The man’s face was half covered in black and brown spots, the barest hint of pale skin between the splotches. They were the most powerful and because of it, feared far more than the others. No one knew what they could do but they were strong enough to be a real concern to people. Even Gibbs worried about Paints, not for fear of them as a whole but because he’d had enough experience with human nature to know that not all Paints would use their abilities for a good cause. And because he knew that most Paints were under someone’s protection. What they had to do to gain that protection was enough to make Gibbs lose sleep when he thought about it too much.  
  
Almost all the Deviants that were in Stillwater had come to them when they’d rescued them while out on recon or foraging missions. They saved them when they could, released them from slaver cages when they found them and put down any Cloud-Ragers they found.  
“This isn’t good, Gibbs,” Jimmy said with a familiarity that had only come in the past year. When they’d learned what jimmy could do, Ducky had taken him under his wing in a new capacity. As an empathy, Jimmy was a natural at calming people and helping them to learn to adapt to their new world. His abilities had their limits though and that he could feel something so far off said something Gibbs didn’t want to hear.  
  
“What do you feel, Jimmy?” McGee asked.  
  
“Fear. Hate. Rage.” Jimmy’s eyes were dark as he settled on Gibbs’ other side and looked at him, then past him to McGee.  
  
“Slavers?”  
  
“That’s my guess. If not it’s Cloud-Fighters looking for a place to set up for a while.”  
  
“Or both,” Gibbs contributed.  
  
The men at his side grimaced but Gibbs ignored it. “You staying topside?”  
  
Jimmy stood at his side for a second and looked out, leaning forward to grip the wall in front of him. “Yeah. They aren’t going to cause trouble because of a Dun on the wall. Not unless they’ve come for trouble to begin with. I might be able to feel something out that helps you.”  
  
Gibbs nodded again. He always gave Jimmy the choice. Sometimes his appearance did cause trouble and he’d learned to trust Jimmy’s instinct about it. “Alright, but remember the rules. If something happens, you get off the wall and to the meeting hall.”  
  
The whole community would already be there, waiting to see what was happening with the newcomers. If there was trouble, they were ready to defend themselves and their community’s assets. Jimmy was definitely one of those and no one doubted it.  
  
The caravan stopped at the gates and Gibbs had a hard time keeping his face neutral. He didn’t want to antagonize the small armed group but he couldn’t help the anger that ran through him when he saw the number of cages.  
  
“You’ve come far enough,” Gibbs yelled over the wall to the men driving the horse drawn carriage at the front of the group. There were seven different trailers and they were all full of caged people except the center one that Gibbs figured was their supply vehicle. He counted their numbers quickly and saw the slight shake of McGee’s head. It was just a quick reassurance that let him know McGee agreed with him. There were too many armed men to take them on.  
  
“We could use a friendly place to stay the night.” The man rode up from the back on horseback and smiled at Gibbs, right until he saw the Dun at Gibbs’ side.  
  
“Maybe you do, but we aren’t friendly to slavers. Try to get into Stillwater and you’ll find yourself bunking with your Ragers.”  
  
“We don’t trouble,” the guy said as he raised his arms, his weapon hanging harmless from a strap around his neck but Gibbs could see the familiarity with the weapon and the way his men carried them. “We don’t steal anyone’s pets, just the loose ones.”  
  
“We’re not interested,” McGee piped in. “Head the other way. There’s only trouble for you here.”  
  
He could hear the authority in McGee’s voice and the other man seemed to recognize it as well. Underneath Gibbs could hear the anger as well though. They didn’t talk about the sense of time and movement they shared, but they both knew that in all likelihood, their missing members had found themselves caught in some kind of caravan. Gibbs tried not to think about the dangers of that but they’d been gone for two years and being enslaved would explain why Tony hadn’t arrived yet.  
  
The guy nodded as he looked up and down the wall, checking to see if Gibbs’ people were in accord with their leader. Gibbs didn’t need to look to know. Every man and woman on the wall was handpicked by Gibbs, McGee, and Jimmy to make sure there was no trouble.  
  
“Yeah, alright. Can you tell us where the nearest town is then?”  
  
“About twenty miles south of here there’s a large settlement. You might find friendly housing there.”  
  
It was the end of the exchange and Gibbs was happy enough to see the backside of the caravan. Jimmy was nearly shivering by the time they were out of sight and Gibbs put his hand on Jimmy’s shoulder. “We can’t save them all.”  
  
“I know, Gibbs. It doesn’t mean those people didn’t deserve to be saved.”  
  
Gibbs nodded because it was all he could do. When Jimmy walked away Gibbs was left listening to McGee give orders for a pair of scouts to make sure the caravan was truly gone.  
  
“Boss?” McGee asked when he was done. “We’re not leaving for the foraging trip today, are we?”  
  
“Let’s make sure the caravan is gone. If they don’t cause trouble, we’ll head out at first light.”  
  
McGee was off then, heading down from the wall to shout orders at the men and women who had been waiting to go with them. Gibbs let his eyes travel the path they’d be taking and pushed away thoughts of his missing team. He had to keep what he still had alive. Tony, wherever he was, would find his way there eventually. Gibbs didn’t doubt that. Tony had never gone back on his word in all the years they’d worked together. Gibbs wasn’t about to let him start now.  
  
**  
Gibbs felt the itch in his feet again, the need to keep moving. It didn’t make sense, not when they’d just set up camp the day before and he and the hunters were busy setting up snares and spreading out to find the best places to catch local wildlife, but he felt the need to move anyway.  
If he closed his eyes, he could almost see green eyes, as he always could when the need to move crept up on him. Unlike the other times, there was something desperate behind the need this time and Gibbs had to breathe deep to keep from giving away his position. A large buck was standing under the oak tree, picking at the acorns, fattening itself up for winter. Gibbs would have to get a few of the others out there later to pick up the nuts. As much as he hated the damn things, he’d learned to enjoy the taste when the nuts were ground into flour for bread. It was funny, how quickly your taste buds could adapt to the taste of nut bread when you no longer had wheat in abundance.  
  
Gibbs let that out with a breath as he waited. He wasn’t a patient man in general and sitting there waiting for McGee to take the shot while he had that desperate need to move in the back of his head wasn’t helping any. McGee had asked for the first shot though and Gibbs couldn’t say no, not when Tim had been training with the bow as hard as he had been. They had ammo aplenty in stock but McGee had been adamant about learning to use weapons that they could replace themselves or that didn’t need replacing. He made a good point. While they had a stockpile now, guns still broke down over time and eventually they would have to move further and further afield to find replacement parts and bullets.  
  
It amused Gibbs, that ‘McGeek’ was the first one to go native, to abandon greater technology to learn to shoot a bow. The younger man was adaptable though, more so than Gibbs and when things got rough he turned to him more and more to work things out. McGee was a great administrator, patient and fair and the people trusted him. And because of that, they trusted Gibbs, whom McGee was loyal to.  
  
The deer looked up, nothing startled in its appearance, just looking, and Gibbs was shocked at the silence of the violence when McGee let the arrow fly. One moment the deer was alive and eating and the next there was an arrow taking the magnificent beast down.  
  
He moved out of position and walked over as McGee looked down at his kill. “Nice shot, Tim,” he said quietly. The younger man smiled at the praise but bent down to grab the front legs. Gibbs got the back and they began pulling it away from the tree. There was a better location for dressing the deer nearby and Gibbs wanted to get someone else over there to pick up the acorns. It was a good day’s work, something that would feed them and give a little more warmth to their community.  
  
They worked in silence, Gibbs deferring to McGee since the deer was his kill, but the other man had learned all aspects of the hunt as he did everything else, with speed and accuracy and little fuss over the necessities.  
  
“I … I had a dream last night,” McGee said in the quiet as he stared down at his bloody hands. “Abby was on the move. Someone was with her but I couldn’t see. They only moved at night, like she was hunted or something. I can’t get it out of my mind. I wasn’t,” he paused, letting out a shaky breath. “It came back to me when I was up there and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to let loose the bow.”  
  
Gibbs could only nod. Over the last year they’d shared the same phenomena, the odd feelings they got or the images they felt. Their instincts about when to move and when to stay were completely in tune with one another and always seemed to come at the same time as the imaginings began.  
  
“She still feels protected though and I know she is.”  
  
Gibbs nodded again. Yeah, Abby was protected. No matter what had happened – even if she’d become one of the Cloud-Raged – Tony would have found a way to save her. Loyalty was what Tony knew, it was everything he was. It was also everything Gibbs tied his hope to and what kept him moving every day.

 

**

 

“I’m so sorry, Tony.”  
  
Abby’s voice was quiet as they snuck down to the kitchen. Tony didn’t say anything but he ran a hand over her shoulder in a soothing gesture as she dumped a loaf of bread into the bag Tony held open. Tony hated the kind with the hard crust but the bread traveled better and actually toasted better once it started going stale so he refused to let his groan out. Abby threw in two containers of dried jerky and a handful of the dried fruit and vegetable packages as well. The bag was getting heavy but Tony didn’t fight her when she took a couple other staples as well.  
His own bag was full of things they could trade once they got out on their own again, as well as their bedrolls and other gear they needed to be out in the wilderness. He tried not to think about how little ammo he had left. He had other means of fighting, but a gun always held fear and Tony would rather keep people back with fear than have to actually hurt them. This time they were sneaking away in the dark, after hours when the watch would be tired. Tony knew because he’d been up gambling with the boys the night before. He was kicking himself now because he was exhausted but it could work in their favor.  
  
“Don’t worry about it, Abbs.” Tony hated the pain in her voice but there was nothing he could do about that. Abby had to sleep sometime too and it was just dumb luck that someone had come into the small bedroom they’d claimed when the caravan had settled down for a few days’ rest. Dumb luck and his own need to catch a bit of shut eye. If he’d been awake at least they’d have known if the woman had seen them they truly looked or not. They couldn’t take the chance though so they were stealing supplies and leaving in the middle of the night. “It was time to move on anyway.”  
  
The group was traveling east but they weren’t heading far enough north for Tony’s liking and they seemed to be settling into the current group of houses a little too well. It was a good set up and Tony could see them trying to make a permanent settlement in a place like that. They needed to move on though, to get to Stillwater where he knew Gibbs was waiting for them.  
  
It was time to be on their own anyway. Tony felt antsy whenever they were with a caravan. After the bombs had dropped, he and Abby had travelled with a few groups that were willing to take on a couple able bodies so long as they contributed to the group. They were both smart and it wasn’t hard to find a way to help out so they were lucky enough. Right up until they’d been captured by a slaver who saw Abby and Tony for what they were. Six months in the cages was more than enough for Tony and though they had started traveling with groups when they escaped for the safety they offered, Tony needed to be away from them again. The constant drain on Abby to cover their appearance was only part of the reason.  
  
“I’ve got as much as we’ll be able to use,” Abby said softly as she pulled the bag from Tony’s hands, closing the zipper quickly. He knew how much she hated stealing but there was only so much they could do. It wasn’t like Tony and Abby were traveling empty handed on purpose after all.  
He shivered at the thought of the last six months and Abby’s hand was on his shoulder this time, her touch grounding him. “You up for a full night, Tony?”  
  
Tony gave her a wide smile. “Can’t keep a good man down.”  
  
Abby smiled then, bright and 100% Abbs and he was glad his façade held. She didn’t need to know how tired he was, how his energy was depleted so much quicker after the abuse they’d seen in the last six months. No matter how much he slept of what he did each day he just seemed to be exhausted. Whenever he felt himself starting to wane though, he just closed his eyes and imagined cold bars again. It was all it took to steel himself. On the few occasions where even that didn’t work, he remembered the way Abby looked behind them, her golden skin lighting her up for anyone to see, white stripe down her nose and matching marking around her wrists and ankles telling everyone she was a Dun.  
  
If there was one thing, above all the others, Tony hated about the changes in the world since the meteorites had come it was that Abby was marked the way she was. If she’d been a Roan they could have hidden her markings better.  
  
He pushed the thoughts aside and took Abby’s hand in his, taking the lead as they moved out of the kitchen. The place was quiet. They didn’t have enough candles to light everything up and the building they’d moved into while they were trying to rest up and stock up on supplies hadn’t come with power. Some places still had electricity but Tony had learned to hate the ones that did. Abby had an easier time working her illusions in natural lighting. He didn’t know why but something about the harsh white fluorescents showed the flaws in her magic more. She could tell him exactly what it was, her mind making the bridge from science to psychic magic without hesitation, but the explanation was long and Tony preferred to ask it when he needed to sleep.  
  
“Just keep close, Abby,” he warned. “In case.”  
  
Abby was never far from his side. She couldn’t be, not with all things considering and the times when they were forced apart he’d felt the need to protect her so damn strong he nearly went insane. He’d managed to screw everything else up so far but he still had Abby and he was going to keep her safe.  
  
And in the back of his mind he could hear Gibbs tell him he’d better.  
  
It was gonna be a long night, but the image of Gibbs, staring out across a fire, waiting for them to get home, gave him the strength to start out. They needed to cover a lot of ground before the head of the caravan found them missing. They hadn’t taken more than Tony had added to the group’s pot but they wouldn’t see it that way. Especially not if they’d seen anything while Abby slept.  
“I have an idea,” he told her softly and Tony led them towards the outer circle of houses where the watch fires burned low where the watch had let them burn down. The guard was already asleep at his post instead of watching the perimeter. Tony smiled at Abby. “Stay here. I’m gonna see if I can get us one more thing.”  
  
She froze at his words but he kissed her temple. “If anything happens run for the woods. I’ll need you when I stumble out of here, alright?”  
  
She nodded and then Tony was moving away from her. In the street between the four largest houses was the center of their camp where they held what few precious things the group owned. Not everything could be practically kept that way though. The horses that pulled the large wagon were kept at the other end and Tony moved silently to them. He threw a saddle blanket up on one of the beasts back and shushed the nickers and neighs before they could start. The horses had been harshly used and though Tony had little knowledge of the animals he knew Abby had been spending time tending to them. What he knew of horses came from her. He did know how to buckle the saddle on though and how to put in the bit. There were other things he knew he was doing wrong, but he grabbed one of the feed bags and a full set of saddle bags as well. They were empty but it couldn’t hurt to have them. Hell, they might be able to trade them to someone else if they found they didn’t want them in the long run.  
  
The horse moved along with him, the soft clop clop of hooves muted by the grass. When he got to Abby’s side her smile widened and she took a minute to run her hands over the horse, whispering as she went along. When she nodded, Tony swung his leg up and into the saddle. Abby got up behind him and they moved quietly away from the fires of the camp.  
  
For a moment he thought they’d been discovered but when he looked back over his shoulder, Abby’s eyes were narrowed in concentration and he knew that anyone who looked their way would see nothing but the night around them. He hated to rely on her for something like that, but it was better to let Abby use illusion to hide them than to get caught leaving.  
  
No one called out at their escape and no one seemed to notice. If they’d been caught while they were sleeping, the head of the band would likely just lock the door and hope to keep them there until morning where they were supposed to be at their weakest. Thankfully, the list of attributes given to the Cloud-Deviants was varied and often wrong. Like being weaker in the daylight and stronger at night. Or not casting a shadow. Hell, he couldn’t remember the number of times that bit of trivia had gotten them out of trouble.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Tony switched their positions. “See if you can get some sleep Abbs.” She was riding in front of him but she tipped her head back against his shoulder, letting her weight rest back against Tony’s chest. He had his arms around her, keeping her secure. She needed to sleep off the exhaustion of her illusion and maybe, if there was no sign of pursuit, Tony could allow himself a rest as well.  
  
**  
  
Luck finally seemed to be working for them as rain clouds rolled up behind them the next morning. The rain washed away their tracks and Tony doubted they were important enough to find in that. The horse would be sorely missed, but they had others and sending a party after Abby and Tony would mean possible damage to the other horses as well.  
  
They traveled on through the rain and Tony was grateful that the weather hadn’t turned cold yet. In a couple of weeks the weather would start to turn and they’d be stuck hiding until the rain passed. As it was they’d have to stop midday so they didn’t get sick. Maybe earlier if the wind picked up.  
  
**  
  
“Go back to bed,” Gibbs barked as soon as he looked over at McGee. Tim knew he looked like hell, but he didn’t think he looked bad enough for Gibbs to comment.  
  
“I’m okay, Boss,” he reassured him. “Just tired.”  
  
The problem with that was that his condition wouldn’t stay that way for long. It’d happened in the past, exhaustion that either cleared up the next day or turned into something worse if he didn’t keep to bed. Sometimes even when he did. There was no way of knowing which way it would go but they both knew what the exhaustion meant. Abby was in trouble. The worse Tim got, the more trouble she was in.  
  
McGee didn’t know why he was affected that way but he was. He didn’t know why it happened as often as it did or why his reactions were like that. They didn’t know why Gibbs had only been affected three times over the last two years or why his experiences had been so violently different than Tim’s, but they knew the signs now and Tim couldn’t ignore Gibbs’ order even if he’d wanted to. Not when it meant hurting Abby.  
  
Gibbs filled Tim’s coffee mug up and filled a plate before sitting the pile of food in front of him. “Eat up and then to bed, Tim. Whatever she needs from you this time, you better make sure you can take it.”  
  
Tim just nodded, ignoring the worried look Gibbs shot him as he took a seat opposite him. Last time Tim had been in a coma for three days. Last time, Gibbs hadn’t wakened for nine. Neither of them took the warnings their bodies gave them lightly.  
  
**  
  
The fire crackled in front of him and Tony took a deep breath, happy that the air wasn’t misting in front of him. It’d taken half the day to get the room warm enough that he couldn’t see his breath but Abby still looked a little too pink for his liking. She didn’t turn that shade of pink often and he knew what it meant.  
  
It’d been a rough two months since they’d left the last group and started traveling on their own and while solitary travel was safer in some ways, the need to keep going while still scrounging for supplies was taxing on them both. The house they found was quiet and set back away from the others, hidden in a valley of trees that Tony hoped would hide the smoke from the chimney as well. He thought about their dwindling supplies and what he’d been able to get off the last group of people they’d stopped to trade with on the road and decided it was time to bring out the big guns.  
  
It took some effort to get Abby to just relax and let him deal with their mean but Tony knew the effort was worth it. The meal wasn’t much but it was different from their usual fare and he knew Abby would love it. He held a warm mug in one hand and took it to Abby as she was spread out on the couch in front of the fire. “Abbs, come on baby, something warm for you.”  
  
She sat up slowly and Tony schooled his expression into a soft smile. Her eyes had dark circles under them which made her Dun markings all the stronger. In the old days, he’d have teased her, threatened to buy her a collar that would cover every inch of her with matching bracelets for her wrists but this wasn’t something they could tease about anymore.  
  
There would be no more collars in Abby’s future. One real collar was all it took to break her of that fashion statement.  
  
Abby sipped at the cup without looking inside and moaned softly as the chicken noddle soup hit her taste buds. “Oh god, Tony, processed food! You are a god!”  
  
Tony chuckled at her words as he leaned back against the edge of the couch. It didn’t take much to earn Abby’s love these days. He hated the way their travel was taking its toll on her and he tried to lavish her with little gifts as often as he could.  
  
“You ate yours already, didn’t you? Sneaky!” Abby teased.  
  
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to catch the salty scent. He hadn’t but she didn’t need to know that. He’d given her an extra big mug and filled it to the brim. There had been a tiny bit left and he’d used the last of their bread to soak the juices up. It wasn’t very good that way, but that little bit was better than nothing. Abby deserved the extra. She was the one protecting them after all. Tony kept them moving in the right direction, but she was the one keeping them from the cages.  
  
Not that she saw their positions that way.  
  
“Something else for you too,” Tony smiled as he turned to look at her. There were two other mugs on the table. As much as he was willing to give Abby all the soup, he’d saved the last treat for both of them. Man could live on bread and water alone, but sometimes he needed a little more incentive.  
  
“Oh, what is it?”  
  
“Drink up first.”  
  
Abby did as she was told; drank her soup and then pouted her lips out at him. Tony gave her an affectionate smile and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, sharing the bit of salt that lingered there. “Thanks Abbs.”  
  
She leaned in and wrapped her arms around Tony’s shoulders. The way she moved had her falling into Tony’s lap but she just snuggled up closer to his chest. “You always take such good care of me, Tony. What would I do without you?”  
  
He didn’t answer, couldn’t, because sometimes when he thought about the journey he knew she’d have found Gibbs and McGee without him. Other times he didn’t think she’d survive the day without him and he couldn’t take the pain of either thought.  
  
He held her tight, recognizing that she wasn’t going to let go anytime soon and sighed. “Alright, I get the idea. Let’s move up on the couch and we can share.”  
  
Abby scrambled up onto the couch, pulling the blankets back and rearranging them until they were both well covered. Tony sat with his back to the arm of the couch and Abby was in the spread of his legs, head resting against his chest. “Now?” she asked.  
  
“Yeah, now you can have it.”  
  
Abby reached for the first mug and her eyes looked up at Tony, wide and searching once she saw the contents. “Tony?”  
  
He smiled. “I got two mugs, but we can just share.”  
  
Her gaze was tear filled, but she closed her eyes as she took the first sip. It’d been a long time since they’d had anything that didn’t count as necessary. The houses they’d looked into had all been looted but at the back of one of the cabinets Tony had found a few things. It would have been better with warm milk instead of heated water, but it was hot chocolate all the same. He also had a Hershey bar he was saving for a really bad day. Like maybe tomorrow.  
  
She took a long drink of the chocolate, and then brought the mug to Tony’s lips. He took a small sip and let Abby have the mug again. As always, she failed to notice how little he took and she drank most the mug by herself. Tony was happy enough, just resting with her, warm and safe for the rest of the day. He figured they’d both be able to catch up on some sleep tonight and in the morning they might be able to make some headway.  
  
Abraham, as Abby had named their stolen horse, was in the dining room, munching on the oats Tony had last bartered for. Abraham was a lot fatter than they were but Tony was concerned about their chances of keeping him alive come true winter. He was still eating at the grass and weeds now but soon that would be gone. He just hoped they could get to Stillwater before that. It would be close. He figured they had another month at the rate they were currently traveling but as they headed further north the weather was gonna get worse.  
  
They had a lot of extra blankets now, some thicker clothes too. It’d taken Abby a long time to see reason about pilfering through dead people’s closets but in the end necessity had won out. Now she was outfitted in heavy boots – they’d lucked into a shoe warehouse not long ago and they both had new boots for the winter trek – a couple pair of stretch pants with baggy jeans to keep the cold out. She had a couple layers of shirts and a heavy jacket and Abby always smiled warmly at him when she pulled the ear flaps of her hat over her ears.  
  
Well dressed, but they had hard travel and they didn’t want to overtax Abraham by loading on a lot of other things. Other than some underclothes they kept in a saddle bag, they were wearing everything they had. Tonight it meant they were sitting in next to nothing, huddled for warmth by the fire so that they could wash and dry their things. Sometimes they were able to find new clothes but there was nothing in the current house that would fit them.  
  
They sat on the couch together and when the first mug was empty Tony encouraged Abby to get the second. They finished the hot chocolate in no time and then Abby was falling asleep in his arms. Tony relaxed slightly at that, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. He fell asleep in that position, grateful for one more night where he was able to keep her safe and close.  
  
**  
  
“I wouldn’t do it if I were you.”  
  
The young woman stopped in her tracks and looked at McGee as he sat by himself at one of the dining tables. The majority of the town was towards the front, fires burning in the hall as they listened to Jackson Gibbs telling stories. Ducky and Jimmy were up there with them, Ducky enjoying himself and Jimmy keeping an eye on a couple of their newer residence to make sure they were adjusting well to life within their community.  
  
Kara turned to look at McGee, startled that he was there, so far away from the rest. The truth be told, as much as people looked to him when he was in the community, there were only four people McGee trusted. Ducky and Jimmy were on the list and the other two were named Gibbs.  
  
Jackson made everyone feel at home, comfortable and happy, and able to forget about the awful times they lived in. Ducky was good at reminding people why they were living, at giving them the humor to deal with the atrocities that came their way. Jimmy was their counselor who helped them figure out how to deal with the horrors of the world and remember how to see the hope.  
  
Leroy Jethro Gibbs was still an enigma to most people, especially the people who knew him growing up. Tim couldn’t say he wasn’t just as mystified by his boss, but he knew the man as well as anyone could claim to after the last two years and there were times when you left him alone. Tonight was one of them and Tim was feeling the stifling press of the compound as well.  
  
“I was just gonna keep him company,” Kara said softly. She reached for the door again and Tim got up, pushed the door closed before it could open more than an inch.  
  
“Don’t.” He knew there were plenty of women who looked at Gibbs with a fair bit of expectation in their eyes. It made him uncomfortable as hell because he really didn’t have any way to answer what they were asking. Not and keep his boss from taking his head off.  
  
“He ain’t married to you, McGee.”  
  
No, he wasn’t married and neither was Tim but that didn’t mean they weren’t waiting for someone to come home to them though. Not that he’d mentioned the feeling in any way to Gibbs– he had some sense of self-preservation – but neither of them had any interest in others. They didn’t have much time for others when they were busy waiting for Tony and Abby to come home to them.  
“He isn’t looking for company tonight.”  
  
Kara glared at him and Tim backed away from the door, holding his hands up. If Kara wanted to take her chances he’d done his best to warn her. There were only so many times he could block someone from trying to get to Gibbs, even if he was trying to protect them. Some people had to learn the hard way.  
  
He watched the woman go through the door and sighed before going back to his seat. He had no idea what Gibbs had gone through since the cloud. It wasn’t like they talked about what was happening or anything, but he knew how far his own feelings went for Abby. It wasn’t just the simple things he’d felt before either. Yeah, he and Abby had dated once and even after he’d felt a certain level of jealousy towards other men she was involved with but that was nothing like what he felt after the cloud. Now, he could almost feel her out there at times. He was sure Gibbs had the same sort of feelings towards Tony.  
  
They didn’t talk about any of it; their feelings, or the times Tim was completely exhausted, when they felt like they had to stay in Stillwater and couldn’t move around, or the times they suddenly had to be moving towards something either.  
  
Gibbs trusted his gut and Tim did too. He had no idea what Abby and Tony were facing out there but they were closer now, he knew that much. Tony and Abby were on their way to them.  
  
He tried to clear his head of those thoughts but they kept circling back to that. He’d spent the last two years worried, wondering if they were still alive out there but suddenly he couldn’t stop thinking that they were on their way. That they were finally coming home.  
  
Kara came rushing back through the door a moment later and Tim didn’t feel sorry for her one bit, even if he could hear the sniffles. Gibbs had a bad reputation for a reason and Tim had tried to warn her off tonight.  
  
Gibbs pushed the door open a moment later, his eyes locking on Tim’s almost as quick. Gibbs stood there for a second before he moved to the other side of the table and took a seat.  
  
“You ready to move out?” Gibbs asked. They hadn’t talked about going out, but Tim was ready anyway. The itch under his skin was just getting worse to the point where he couldn’t sit still any longer. He figured it was why Gibbs was in such a bad mood and he nodded in answer.  
  
“Good. We’ll leave at first light.”  
  
“Full moon tonight and I have everything ready now, Boss.”  
  
Gibbs looked at Tim and he could see the older man reaching towards something, the same something that Tim reached out to whenever he needed help believing that Abby was still alive.  
  
“Alright. We head out in ten.”  
  
Tim smiled and Gibbs returned the grin as they both stood.  
  
It was finally time to find Abby and Tony.

 

**

 

As much as Tony hated going into the marketplace, they had to go into a town from time to time. They were close to Stillwater, Tony knew they only had maybe two more weeks of travel before they got to Gibbs but they wouldn’t make the journey if they didn’t get more food. He had some items stashed in his pack to barter or sell and he just hoped he could get a good price. They weren’t likely to find another outpost on the way to Stillwater.  
  
Abby was looking pretty strong, his eyes taking in her markings just before she covered them so that no one would be able to see them. Tony had always prided himself on being extraordinary. He wished he could take it all back now but they weren’t given a choice in this.  
  
The town looked alright from the outside, but they all did, didn’t they? Lots of places had put up walls around the outside to keep the Cloud-Raged out and the lack of a wall made Tony more wary. If the town didn’t have a wall, what was protecting it? Guns he could handle. It was the rest of it that made him anxious.  
  
“We don’t have to do this, Tony.” Abby’s hand on his shoulder was a comfort against the anxiety. Her eyes were wide as she leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. “We could make Stillwater without stopping.”  
  
“Yeah we could. Let’s see what they’ve got though. Something sweet wouldn’t go amiss about now.”  
  
He wished his words were true but they needed to stop. They didn’t have enough food to last the journey and Tony couldn’t continue on less than half rations much longer. Some days he was sure Abby knew what he was doing but other days he was sure she didn’t know he’d been cutting back. He tried to make sure she didn’t know. She needed the full rations. Without her strength, without her illusions, Tony would still be in a damn cage.  
  
The main street was dirty and crowded and they’d barely walked a quarter of a mile down the street when Abby halted. “Slavers,” she said under her breath, hands clutching Tony’s wrist.  
  
“Deep breath Abbs,” Tony answered back. “No need to get excited. We’ve seen them before, everyone has. No need to draw attention to us.”  
  
Slavery was still illegal in the United States, but no one said anything about the men and women behind bars. There was a large wagon train in the middle of town, cages filled. Large dog kennel cages were filled with people; snarling, pupils so far dilated they looked black eyed. Ragers. They were placed carefully so they couldn’t reach anything else. Some were biting at their own skin, some growled out from their cages, while others slept or watched with weary eyes as people passed them by. The other cages were packed together, larger cages where people could stand upright. The people inside were Deviants and Tony marveled at the number of them there. There was a large collection of Roans; people with a light dusting of hair that turned their skin into something else in the right light. He watched one girl turn from a dark chocolate to a pale white as the light hit her body just right. Another turned from a golden tan to a reddish color. It was all over their bodies, no way to hide their markings except to keep out of certain types of light. They had very little power in them, mostly illusion and a few small tricks but nothing more. He didn’t know why anyone kept them, except fear and superstition.  
  
A few people in the cages were Duns, like Abby. Their powers varied but they were stronger than the Roans. He could see the effects of drugs on them and most seemed unaware of their surroundings. They were drugged or beaten down until they were nothing more than automatons for the person pulling their chains. Like his forensic teammate they all had golden skin with either white or black patches around their neck, wrists, and ankles.  
  
A few people had no visible markings and the sight of those people made Tony’s anger boil. They looked perfectly normal, though bruised and bloody. Every last one of them had eyes only for someone in a cage. Mates. Bonded. Held captive and beaten to keep their other obedient and pliant for their jailor. It was how they kept the strong ones in line.  
  
There were no Paints on the wagon and Tony wasn’t surprised by that. If they had a Paint they would keep it close. The strongest of the new psychic breed, the Paints were completely unpredictable. Tony had meet one or two, heard horror stories of how they’d hurt people they knew without meaning to before they learned how to control their power. Their bodies ran the spectrum of colors. What united them was that no matter what base color they started out with, great splotches of pigment were changed across their bodies. It was the Paints who earned all the others their names. It was, perhaps, the Paints who earned all the Cloud-Deviants their place as dangerous valuables. Named for the horse markings their skin resembled, they were treated often as nothing more than pack animals or tamed pets for other people’s amusements.  
  
Tony shivered at the memory of the last cage, held for six months, watching the ‘games’ as the Cloud-Raged were sent into arenas to kill one another for the sport of the untouched.  
  
“Tony, calm down before you give us away.”  
  
Abby’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he became aware of the power building in himself and the power Abby was exuding to keep the illusion around him. The men and women in the cages looked at them as if they could sense it and Tony pulled at Abby’s hand moving them quickly away from the crowd that had come to see the Cloud-Deviants.  
  
“Sorry about that Abbs. I was just-”  
  
“I know Tony. They won’t find them though, even if they did find us. No one can use the bit against us.”  
  
The bit was another form of address he hated. The bit was the rare bond that sometimes formed between the Cloud-Deviants and the untouched. Tony had seen how, in the hands of a skilled manipulator, a man could force a bond and then take the will of another and turn them into a weapon. He’d also seen how people who were already bonded had been used against one another to enforce compliance.  
  
He and Abby had already started to bond. No one understood how it happened exactly but though their bonds were incomplete they were strong enough that Tony had been able to resist six months of brainwashing and torment. Even with the half formed bonds though, he wasn’t sure he’d have lasted much longer. By the time they’d escaped their captivity the need to give in had grown until he was almost unable to resist.  
  
Now though, something felt wrong. He could feel his power building and it wasn’t his doing. He didn’t have control. He looked at Abby, her eyes wide as she watched him struggle. “Go hide, Abbs. I can’t … you can’t protect me now.”  
  
“Tony, no,” her voice begged but he knew she’d go. He knew because they’d gone over it a hundred times since they’d been captured the first time, how to get out if they got caught a second.  
  
“Go now Abbs before anyone else notices.”  
  
She grabbed him, embracing him quickly before turning to quickly walk away. Tony closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to hold the power off long enough that she could get clear of him so no one would associate her with the Paint who had just come into town.  
  
He didn’t know why the power was pulsing out of control but he needed release before the power engulfed him completely. He could feel the hint of pain creeping along his nerves, knew how much worse it would get if he didn’t find something to direct the power into. He looked back at the cages and knew that was his best chance at getting Abby free. The more chaos he could unleash, the less likely anyone would go looking for her.  
  
He closed his eyes and focused on the locks. God help him, he thought for a second, and then he pushed his power into the door of the cages. The Cloud-Deviants were stunned by their sudden freedom but only took a second before they leapt from the cages and ran. A second after the Cloud-Raged escaped their cages and began attacking. Screams filled the air of the dusty town.  
  
It wasn’t enough and as Tony looked up, men were coming out of the main building, eyes focused on him. He let go then, let out the paralyzing power that would bring everyone to their knees. He felt pain, felt the sick twist of his stomach as wave after wave of other people’s worst experience hit him, people caged and people used against them, people who watched in fear, or who perpetrated the horrors themselves. They all had pain and Tony screamed with it, the wash of power swept over him, release and agony and his own empathy backfiring on him. Just as before, Tony was blacked out by his own powers.  
  
His only regret as he fell was that they had been so damn close this time.  
  
**  
  
He didn’t have time to think about what was happening. One moment he and Gibbs were walking towards the nearest town and the next Tim was waking up with a lethargy that he knew wasn’t his own. He had no idea what had happened to Abby but he knew she was close and he needed to get to her. That didn’t change the fact that Gibbs was out cold. Whatever had hit Abby must have been even worse on Tony. Tim had lots of ideas about why Gibbs was affected the way he was but he’d been smart enough to keep them to himself. Gibbs didn’t allow intolerance towards the Cloud-Deviants in their camp but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there, hiding in the background. Tim wasn’t about to open up his ideas to the forum and see what people would think if they knew what Tim suspected. He’d never seen the bond form as it had between himself and Abby, from long distance and with only a few stumbled words over the phone, but he’d seen the same sort of recognition when he looked at Gibbs that day, the knowledge that somehow they’d been changed. They weren’t Cloud-Deviants but there was no doubt that both Abby and Tony had been affected.  
  
It didn’t help him figure out what to do, but he didn’t need Gibbs awake to hear his voice telling him he’d have his head on a platter if he didn’t get to Abby when she was in danger. His former self would have worried himself sick about the right thing to do, but he wasn’t the same man anymore. Instead, Tim set about doing what he had to. Gibbs needed shelter before Tim could go out and get some recon.  
  
They weren’t far from where they’d stabled the horses, an old house that had long been looted and abandoned. It wasn’t a pleasant job, but Tim hoisted Gibbs up and managed to drag him back, setting him in the corner of the living room with their extra gear. Hopefully if anything came looking for trouble, Gibbs would rouse for it. He didn’t have a lot of faith in that, but it was the best he could do. He knew what was happening to Gibbs in a vague way but Abby and Tony had to be close and their predicament was what had caused Gibbs to black out to begin with.  
  
Tim pulled out a small piece of paper and wrote a simple note for Gibbs and placed it in his hand. If he woke without Tim there he would understand. _Gone to find them_.  
  
He felt guilty but at least he knew Gibbs was safe for now. Tim didn’t miss the way Gibbs always eyed the slave carts that tried to come through Stillwater or that they saw on their journeys and he knew they shared the same thoughts about it. The way Abby and Tony were moving could mean they were caught in someone’s cage and if that was the case, whatever had just happened could have made them more vulnerable. He couldn’t leave them to the unknown just to play nursemaid over a sleeping Gibbs.  
  
He jogged his way back up the path he’d come from, grateful for the extra time he’d put into training with Gibbs since the cloud came. At the time, Tim had felt the need to be harder, to be more, to try to be the second that Tony had been for Gibbs. Now, Tim had put in the time and he could keep up with the others on the most exhausting of hunts. He needed the extra stamina and strength when Abby pulled at his reserves, which she did frequently.  
  
He could felt the drain on him now, like Abby had been using him again, but it wasn’t severe. It left him worried about Tony. The sudden and devastating drain on Gibbs was something big and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that Tony was using a lot of strength in a short period of time while Abby was using small amounts almost constantly. They didn’t know what talents they had but it gave Tim and Gibbs an idea of what they would see when they found the others.  
  
He pushed the thought away as he found himself on the outskirts of town. There was no wall barring the way and the lack of visible protection made Tim nervous. Most places had walls. Ever since they figured out about the Ragers, walls were the best way to protect people. Ragers normally traveled alone, but every so often you found a pack and they were vicious. A pack could take out a small town quickly, but a single Rager would sneak in and take out the weak and young before people realized what was happening, culling the herd so to speak. Humanity was depleted enough without the help. That the town in front of him had no walls made him think they had something else to keep them safe. Or that no one in the town was safe and they let each other fend for themselves.  
  
The thought chilled him. They’d seen more than one kind of set up while he and Gibbs had been out on scouting trips and Stillwater was one of the few they’d seen where people actually looked after one another. Almost all others were based on a hierarchy of supply and demand and getting close enough to the guy in charge. Some seemed to be people just living close to one another hoping that proximity was safety enough.  
  
He moved slowly into town, walking in the shadow of trees as much as he could. The roads were cracked and weeds poked through, covering the street in more green than anything else. The buildings had more boarded up holes than actual windows but that was pretty common even in Stillwater. No matter how they looked after one another now, no one had a lot of glass to replace the lost windows and they were a liability if someone did sneak into the town unnoticed.  
  
There was a large commotion in the center of the small town. A large group was gawking at cages on a wagon while others were walking away at a fast pace, faces turned away in obvious disgust. Tim could see why. Although he couldn’t see well enough to get a look at what was in the cages, he knew. It was a slaver train on the move with a group of Cloud-Deviants. He felt his stomach jump at the thought of the people caught in their cages. If they were right, Abby and Tony could be in there.  
  
He stood straighter as he walked close to the shop buildings, trying not to draw any attention to himself. He needed to get a closer look at the cages to see what sort of shape his teammates were in. He realized then that the commotion wasn’t just about the cages. There was blood drying on the ground in various spots, enough in some spots that he knew people had died. He took a deep breath and steeled himself to his task. He wished he had Gibbs at his back – or that he had Gibbs’ back if he were being honest with himself – but he knew what he needed to do and there was no backing down.  
  
A man came walking his way, a traveler and when Tim caught his eye he nodded. “Trouble?”  
  
The guy snorted. “Town has a Paint that can pull the power out of others. They caught a stray Paint and somehow the stray let the Ragers out of their cages.” The guy snorted. “Guy in charge of the train kept talking about how tame his Ragers were – tame unless they were in a fight ring – right up until the cage opened and they attacked the locals.”  
  
“Tame Ragers?” Tim shook his head at the idea. “How bad is it?” He asked. Things could get ugly real quick if the wrong people got hurt in an incident like that.  
  
The traveler shook his head and gave a small shrug. “A few people not gettin’ up again. A handful more got hurt before the Paint stopped ‘em all.”  
  
“The one that was catching the others?”  
  
“Nah, the other ‘un. Whatever else he did, he knocked the whole damn town out somehow. Hurt like hell. No need to worry though. Got him drugged and caged as soon as everyone woke up. Looks like whatever he did, it got him worst of all.”  
  
Tim schooled his face as he’d learned to do. As much as they hated the way the Cloud-Deviants had been caged like they were some sort of property, they weren’t always in a position to do anything about it. Right now, Tim needed more information before he figured out what he could do and tipping his hand just yet could get him into serious trouble. Gibbs was counting on him, to find Abby and Tony, and to get back to him.  
  
“Seems safe enough for my business then,” Tim said. “Thanks for the information.”  
  
“Just keep an eye out. Locals are pretty uppity right about now. Not taking too kindly to strangers if you know what I mean. Hell, the trader train will be headin’ off in the morning. No one is taking chances.”  
  
Tim nodded. “Good thing I just plan on stocking up and leaving then.”  
  
The traveler moved past him then and Tim let out a deep breath. It could be a lot worse but he had a really bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He really needed to get a look at the cages.  
  
He made his way through town, still sticking to the edges. People were moving away from the center of the street now as everything died down. He was drawing close to the cage but something caught his eye back behind one of the houses. He didn’t know what he’d seen, but years of working in the field with the team had taught him to catch someone trying to sneak by. He moved between the buildings to try to catch up, but as he turned the corner a hand was pressed over his mouth. His eyes opened wide as he found himself looking down at Abby.  
  
He brought his hands up, touching her arms lightly before she let go of his mouth and threw her arms around his neck. “Abbs,” he whispered her name into her hair. Her body was shivering and he wrapped her tight, holding her close. He could feel her again, not just the awareness of her, but her physical body and he wasn’t sure he was ever going to be able to let her go again.  
  
“God, Abby, are you okay?”  
  
“I’m… Timmy. I don’t know where to start. Tony, we have to get to Tony. I don’t know what they’ll do to him.”  
  
“Who has Tony? Abbs, I need to know what’s happening.”  
  
“Tony,” she paused and Tim could see that she was torn. She knew what was happening but she didn’t want to betray Tony. This, at least, he knew how to take care of though.  
  
“We already know. I mean, we figured it out after a while. Once it became clear what was happening to the people who formed bits.” God he hated to call it that but she’d know what he meant. “We knew you and Tony were Cloud-Deviants. I figured ... well Gibbs and I didn’t talk about it directly but we knew. You had to be a Dun. The way Gibbs gets drained … Tony is the Paint they caught, isn’t he?”  
  
Her eyes turned down to the ground and he could see the silent sobs in the way her shoulders shook. He pulled her close again. “It’s okay Abby. We knew before we came looking for you. We knew you were trying to get back to us but we couldn’t find you. We never gave up though. We’re gonna get Tony out. Now, I need to know what you know. I need to get some facts and we can make a plan while I go back and check on Gibbs.”  
  
“Gibbs?” Her eyes flew up to his at the mention of their boss. “What happened to Gibbs?”  
  
“He’s fine, Abby. It’s just that whatever Tony does, it packs a punch. Gibbs was unconscious when I left him, but he should be okay until we get back. Now, tell me what you can about Tony and where he is. Then we’ll see what we need to do next.”  
  
**  
  
It turned out that Tony was taken to one of the upper rooms of the Inn so the doctors could look at him. Abby stayed in the background but Tim went into the bar to see what rumors he could hear. If the rumors were right, Tony had been beaten by the crowd before the town mayor had stopped them. He hadn’t regained consciousness and they were cleaning him up. The mayor had his own Paint, collared and drugged to do his bidding, who was keeping an eye on Tony. The doctor had cleaned him up, complained about the half-starved man they expected him to be able to heal overnight, but from what Tim heard, Tony was going to be alright. At least, alright enough to travel out of town with the train the next day.  
  
He didn’t mention any of that when he made his way back to Abby. She was upset enough as it was. Instead, he told her Tony would be alright and that they needed to get back to Gibbs. As much attention as Tony had on him at the moment there was no way Tim could get to him yet. He just hoped Gibbs would miraculously wake up and be able to help him come morning because there was no way Tim figured he could get Tony out on his own.  
  
As they walked away from town, Abby leaned into him more and more and Tim could feel the sense of her becoming stronger. He wrapped an arm over her shoulder as they finally got far enough away. It wasn’t enough, but it was the best he could do. Nothing would be good enough until he got her back to Stillwater where they could keep her safe.  
  
“He always said you were coming,” Abby said softly as they walked. “Tony, he always said you guys were out there, waiting for the right clues to come find us. I can’t … Timmy … I can’t leave him like that. You don’t know what they’ll do to him … what that place did to him last time.”  
  
He pulled her to a stop and wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry into his shoulder for a few minutes. When he looked down at her, he shook his head. “Let me see Abby. I don’t know how you’re hiding your markings, but let me see.”  
  
It was just the blink of an eye, but where Abby had just been standing, pale skinned and red eyed before, he was suddenly faced with a totally different Abby. Her skin was golden in color, but a thin white line trailed down the center of her upturned nose. Around her neck, where her dog collars used to be, was a thick white stripe. Her tears never stopped, but the quiver of her lip gave away the newest turmoil and Tim cupped her face gently to try to still her fears.  
  
“Abbs, you are still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known,” he said softly. “You got new markings, but everything truly beautiful about you is far deeper than those.”  
  
She threw her arms around him then and he ignored the moisture in his own eyes. He had to be strong for her. Hell, Gibbs had been making him take care of himself for far too long with that motto in his head – be strong for Abbs – that he couldn’t do anything less now.  
  
“Come on. Let’s get you back to Gibbs. If anything could wake him out of this, it would be you.”  
She perked up at the mention of Gibbs and they started walking again. Tim really wanted to ask about Tony and what she’d meant about before. He wanted to ask what had happened to them and how Tony was caged and she was free, but there wasn’t time yet. He’d get the rest of the answers when they were safe tonight. And then he’d figure out a plan that would get Tony free that wouldn’t lead the town straight back to Abby and Gibbs. Even if their escape meant getting himself caught in their place.  
  
The walk took longer with Abby slowing him down, but she managed the distance better than he’d originally thought she would. He didn’t say anything but after a few sideway glances, she’d smiled and mentioned that she and Tony had been walking for a while now and she had a perfectly good set of legs if he’d like to take a look.  
  
It was close to nightfall when they came across the path that would lead them to Gibbs. It looked undisturbed and Tim breathed a little easier. He made Abby stay outside as he went in, gun in hand as he checked to be sure they were alone.  
  
He heard the safety click before he saw someone else moving, but let out a sigh of relief when it was Gibbs putting the safety on.  
  
“Boss! I didn’t think you’d wake up so fast.”  
  
“How long was I out?”  
  
“Just a couple hours.”  
  
“You find anything?”  
  
Before Tim could say anything Abby was flying through the door, her arms catching around Gibbs’ waist. She was sobbing and Gibbs held her close, but he looked up at Tim, waiting for an explanation as to why she was walking through alone.  
  
“They have Tony,” he said softly as Gibbs and Abby took a seat. A fire was started in the fireplace and there was tea hanging over the flames. Tim got their cups and grabbed for the rations, giving Abby more than a fair helping. She looked too thin. Tim didn’t forget what they said about Tony being half-starved. If Abby was thin, he bet Tony was worse. His friend would have given Abby all that he could to keep her strong.  
  
“From what I heard they’re planning on selling him to the train heading out in the morning. There was too much attention earlier to get him free. I was thinking, in a few hours, if we can find a way past the guards, we could break him out and be on our way before anyone knew what was happening.”  
  
“Gibbs, you can’t let them take Tony. He saved me. I was so scared and Tony was telling me to go because he was going to need help out, but I couldn’t get far enough away and I got caught too. You have to get Tony. Gibbs, he won’t survive captivity again.”  
  
“Hold on Abbs,” Gibbs said, his patience never ending as it always was when it came to her.  
  
“We’re not going to let him go, but you need to tell us everything.”  
  
“I’m … um … I’m a Dun. I can create really strong illusions so I’ve been covering Tony’s markings. When we came into town we saw the slaver train, but we needed supplies. He didn’t think I knew but … he’s been too quiet lately and he sleeps so much harder than he used to so I started watching him. I knew he wasn’t eating right. I knew … but I was tired too and I couldn’t say no when refusing meant I couldn’t keep his face covered.” Tears were in her eyes again and Tim understood how hard they’d been living. He’d guessed at how bad their situation was but he’d always hoped that whatever had kept them apart had been better. Now he knew and he wished he could un-know it. He wished he could find a way to make Abby forget.  
  
“We all make sacrifices and not all of them mean taking a bullet for someone, Abbs. You did what you had to. Now what happened here?”  
  
“I could feel the power building in Tony. It’s happened before, but only when someone was forcing him into something. He always held out Gibbs, always tried so hard to keep his powers under his control, but this time it was out of nowhere. He was building up and Tony told me to get away because he couldn’t control it. He said he’d need me to get him out later. I couldn’t get far enough though and I got caught in Tony’s circle.”  
  
“What is it? What can Tony do?” Gibbs asked.  
  
“He can pull up the most horrible pain you’ve ever been in and make you relive it. Gibbs, he can make the pain so strong, so intense that you pass out. Only it’s not something small, it’s everyone within his circle and when he lets his powers loose, he feels the pain of every person he’s connected to.”  
  
“Jesus,” Tim muttered.  
  
“He can do other things too, move things with his mind when he has to, but mostly he doesn’t use his powers. He said … he thought the first time that he felt you Gibbs. He said he was hurting you too and he couldn’t do that. He wouldn’t. I … I didn’t have that choice.”  
  
Tim bumped his shoulder to hers and smiled. “I spent the last two years taking extra naps. I’m pretty sure you got the short end of the stick in all this.”  
  
“Not sure I understand why I’m awake now though,” Gibbs said softly.  
  
“I was thinking about that. What if it’s similar to the reserves? Like with Abby, the more of my reserves she used up the harder it hit when she needed to really do something. This time with Tony, he wasn’t using his reserves to prevent his powers from being used, it just happened. You were just caught in his power, not the full backlash with depleted reserves.”  
  
Gibbs nodded at that as he stared down at his hands. “So, Tony is a Paint.”  
  
“Gibbs, he needs you.” There was no recrimination in her voice but there was a plea there that Tim couldn’t answer. She was begging for something that she had no right to ask for. She was begging for something that Gibbs had never stood a chance against anyway.  
  
“What does he look like?”  
  
Abby’s voice was quiet. “He doesn’t like people to see him like that. I’ve been covering him since we figured out that hiding was the only way to survive. He’s beautiful though. I mean, Tony was always handsome, but his markings … he’s almost all pale white, but on his right side is a brown patch that starts at the corner of his eye and moves down to his chin. It takes up his whole side, doesn’t end until his knee. He’s got these two baby spots on his throat on the left side that look like a vampire bite and his right arm almost all the way down his forearm is another brown spot. He’s beautiful and his eyes just stand out so much more. He kept me sane. When they put a collar on me I thought I was gonna go mad but Tony just kept telling me I had to hold myself together because you’d be pissed if I didn’t make it back to you.”  
  
“He was right,” Gibbs assured her. “And we’ll get him out Abby. We’re not leaving him to be traded like some piece of meat. He belongs with us and we’ll make sure he stays that way.”  
  
For the first time in years, Tim had something more than just hope. They had a plan.

 

**

 

The plan was simple but Gibbs didn’t like the idea of using Abby like they were. She wasn’t a field agent and didn’t have the training he and McGee had, but he could see by the set of her jaw that she wasn’t going to be left behind. Not only that, but Abby had changed while she’d been on the road with Tony. There was something harder about her now, something that spoke of a hard two years and while Abby had given them a quick breakdown of their time apart, they didn’t know the details. Two years ago, he would have worried that McGee couldn’t handle the details and that Abby would have to rely too much on herself, but none of them were the same as they’d been before. McGee – Tim – had passed through the trials and come out harder for it, but still with his humanity intact. Too many people that had survived the cloud hadn’t. They were broken or too hard to remember that the people affected were still just people.  
  
The bottom line was that they needed Abby though. If she could do what she said – and when had Abby ever delivered less than she said she would? – then they had a chance at getting to Tony undetected. The longer they kept people from noticing them, the better their chance for escape.  
Gibbs came up behind the other two, watching as they looked out at the town from their hiding place. It was close to four in the morning, late enough for the watch to be sleepy and sloppy. Gibbs had laid a false trail that would take any pursuers back to the house they’d just left. There was enough evidence of their stay that they hoped the townspeople that followed would wait for them there, thinking they’d found their hideaway. At least for long enough that they’d have escaped the worst of the pursuit.  
  
McGee wanted to be the one to go in after Tony, arguing that if something happened and Tony had to use his powers again that they’d have to save Gibbs and Tony but Abby needed McGee with her and if everything went to plan they’d get out without causing any commotion. Their only chance of getting Tony free was the quiet way and his people had never let him down. Gibbs had every faith in Abby’s ability to mask his movements and McGee’s ability to take out any threats that came after them.  
  
“Are you ready Abs?” Gibbs asked quietly.  
  
She looked up at Gibbs, taking a deep breath. “Yeah. I can do this Gibbs.”  
  
“I know you can. Just tell me what you need me to do.”  
  
“Nothing. Just, you know, stay in the shadows and move slowly when you can. And quietly. I can make them see what I want but I can’t cover sounds.”  
  
“Ready McGee?”  
  
“I’ve got your six, Boss.”  
  
The rifle was held with an ease that hadn’t been there two years before and Gibbs gave McGee an approving nod. “We finish this tonight Tim.”  
  
McGee’s smile was tight and Gibbs knew he was feeling the need to get Abby back to Stillwater. After two years of waiting they were finally going to be able to take their missing teammates home.  
He started walking towards the town then, sticking to the shadows as much as possible to give Abby less to do. He didn’t know how she did it, but he knew how much her abilities took out of McGee over the years. He didn’t need to exhaust them to the point of sickness.  
  
The building Tony was in had a back stair that led up to the second floor. There was a guard at the top but he was on the other side where Gibbs could move past without trouble. He’d have to watch out for him on the way out but he’d do what he had to. Nothing was going to stand in his way.  
  
He moved up the stairs carefully, hoping to avoid any creaking planks. The wind was blowing around him so the sound of the trees seemed to cover his movements. He moved steadily up the stairs until he was past the guard, tense but trusting to Abby. The guard never saw him there and Gibbs was able to get past him without any trouble. The next part was more dangerous. He had to walk to the front of the building. There was only one other guard on the outside but apparently Tony was going to be kept drugged so no one was expecting trouble out of him.  
  
Gibbs rounded the corner but the guard was right there. He didn’t think twice as he pulled back, hitting the guard square in the face. Stunned, gun clacking down on the walkway the guard tried to correct his balance. Gibbs didn’t give him the time to recover but caught him around the neck with his forearm. It happened fast, but Gibbs hated every second he wasted on the guard. Finally the man was unconscious though and Gibbs pulled him into the shadows of Tony’s doorway. He pushed the door open, gun up just in case, but there was no one else there. At least Abby’s escape kept the town people from realizing someone might be coming after him.  
  
He could see Tony but he ignored him for a moment, pulling the guard into the room to keep anyone from seeing him there. He dropped him to the ground inside the door and closed it quickly, locking it from the inside. With that done, he moved to the bed in the corner where Tony was sleeping.  
  
Gibbs took a deep breath, looking down at Tony, his eyes tracing over the changes Abby had already told him about. She was right. As handsome as Tony had always been the new markings on his skin made him seem alien and strange, but hauntingly beautiful. He let his hand rest on Tony’s cheek for a moment, his fingers brushing the edge of the brown markings by his eye. He closed his eyes, ignoring what he could see about the other man and focusing in on Tony himself. It had never been so strong before, but since the cloud had come, he’d always been able to feel Tony; his moods, his health. He could feel the drugs in Tony’s mind but underneath that there was a lot to be troubled by. Tony’s lungs had never fully recovered from the plague and the drugs along with his diminished strength weren’t helping. Tony was bone deep exhausted and hunger gnawed at him. Tim had pulled him aside and mentioned what the doctor said, let alone what Abby had admitted to, but none of that made it any easier to feel how close Tony was to going out.  
  
He felt the moment of recognition in Tony’s mind and he could feel Tony reaching within himself. Gibbs pulled away slowly, feeling Tony chase after his mental touch. His mind was still foggy but Gibbs opened his eyes in time to see Tony doing the same. The same green eyes stared back up at him but confusion marred their normally astute gaze.  
  
“Gibbs?”  
  
“Yeah Tony,” he said with a soft smile. “It’s time to get you home.”  
  
“Abby?”  
  
“She and McGee are waiting for us. Can you walk?”  
  
Gibbs didn’t want to get up and move away from Tony. In fact, he wanted to wrap Tony up and keep him in his arms but it wasn’t the right time and it sure as hell wasn’t the right place. He stood up but kept close to the bed as Tony swung his legs over the side, stopping to close his eyes and find his equilibrium. He’d seen Tony trying to get his sea legs before and this was no different. His knees tried to buckle when he stood, but Gibbs was there, catching him. He put an arm under Tony’s and felt his second in command adjusting his weight to lean on Gibbs.  
  
“Don wanna slow you down,” Tony slurred.  
  
Gibbs didn’t need to look at Tony to know he was about to get stubborn. Hell, he’d known him long enough that he didn’t even need the damn bond between them. “We’re getting out of here Tony. If you don’t make it, I don’t either. I’m not going through another night wondering what the hell is happening to you. Abby wouldn’t leave you and neither would McGee so even if you thought I could leave you behind, get your ass in gear because you know they won’t either.”  
  
Tony stopped to look at him and the difference took Gibbs by surprise, the dark mark across his face as he turned. He wasn’t sure what showed on his face but Tony mistook his reaction. “Don look at me,” he said as he wrenched his face to the other side.  
  
“Come on Tony. We’ve got more to worry about than your pretty face. We take too much longer and Abby is going to come up here herself and check on you.”  
  
He knew he had to talk to Tony soon about what he was, about Gibbs’ acceptance of it, but for now it had to be enough to get them out of there. Thankfully Tony was on his left and Gibbs pulled his gun with his right as he took a step towards the door. “There’s one guard at the back Tony and I’m gonna have to deal with him. There’s no way we can get you down the steps without him hearing us. I’ll get us to the corner and you just wait for me there, alright?”  
  
Tony nodded and then they were moving to the door. Gibbs checked out to see that the way was clear and then they were walking out onto the walkway. He couldn’t see where Abby and McGee were but he was sure Abby had them covered and McGee was with her, rifle ready in case he was needed. He leaned Tony against the wall as he’d planned but when he turned the corner there were two guards instead of one. He knew he was in trouble because this was supposed to be about stealth but he reacted as best he could, taking the first guard as he came at him. He ducked a blow and didn’t hesitate to deliver a sharp blow to the kidney. The guy went down but there wasn’t enough room for Gibbs to maneuver around the second guy. He braced for the hit, but instead of a fist coming for him, the guy was suddenly stumbling back, falling down the stairs. Gibbs looked up to see Tony holding himself up against the railing.  
  
“Tony, I told you not to move!”  
  
“Didn’t have to Boss. Wasn’t my hands that pushed him down the stairs.”  
  
There was something in Tony’s voice and even with the bond – how he hated the term ‘the bit’ – he couldn’t read the tone. It wasn’t good though and Gibbs knew Tony was trying to push him away again, trying to prove he wasn’t worth the fight.  
  
Like hell he wasn’t.  
  
“My eyes work fine Tony. I know you didn’t use your hands. Doesn’t mean you’re where I left you.” He was already at Tony’s side though, pulling Tony’s arm over his shoulder so he could help him to the stairs.  
  
It wasn’t the easiest trip but they managed fairly well. Gibbs didn’t bother to check on the guy at the bottom. If he was anywhere else he might have risked the time it would take, but they were slavers, taking advantage of people who had no way to be anything other than what they were. Gibbs had never let anyone get away with discrimination before and he wasn’t about to start now. If Tony had killed him when he sent him reeling over the stairs then it was justice.  
  
They were a few steps away from the bottom then a figure stepped out of the shadows. Gibbs pushed Tony behind him as three more men came forward.  
  
“We knew a Paint couldn’t have gone this long all on his own.” He pointed a gun at Gibbs but before he could do anything more a shot rang out and a bullet took him between the eyes. He was just beginning to fall when another shot took one of his companions. Gibbs pulled Tony towards the trees and didn’t look back, trusting McGee to take care of the third man.  
  
The shots were ringing through the streets but they were running through the trees to where Abby and McGee were waiting for them. They were barely through the edge of the trees before Abby was throwing herself at Tony. McGee was there almost as quick, helping Gibbs to keep Tony upright against Abby’s affection.  
  
“Tony, I didn’t leave you!”  
  
“Looks like you followed the plan pretty well, Abs,” Tony said as he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he pressed his nose into her hair. “Better than my plans. Told you Gibbs and McBit were coming.”  
  
“Boss, you wanna risk the horses?”  
  
He knew what McGee was asking and he nodded. Tony wasn’t strong enough to stay upright for long on the horse but there was no way they could carry him the whole way. He hadn’t wanted to ride in the dark but they weren’t gonna have much choice. The people in the village weren’t coming out quickly but they would eventually want to see what had caused the commotion.  
  
“Yeah. The quicker we put this place behind us the better I’ll feel. Double up with Abby. I’ll keep Tony upright.”  
  
McGee hadn’t said anything to Tony yet but he knew the man well enough to see his concern. He was looking past the obvious change to Tony’s appearance and taking in the rest of it; the drugged state, the lack of witty comments, the way his clothes hung off him.  
  
McGee was a good man though and instead of saying anything he pulled the horses from their hiding place and handed the reins to Abby, giving her something to do while he and Gibbs managed to get Tony up on the horse’s back. Gibbs slid up behind him, pulling Tony until he was resting back against his chest. “Just sleep Tony. I’ve got you now.”  
  
“On it Boss,” Tony whispered even as Gibbs felt him falling asleep.  
  
He ignored the ache that filled him, the need to hold Tony closer, and instead held his hand out for the reins. Abby handed them to him and hurried over to the other horse. McGee watched Gibbs for a minute and they shared a moment of relief. For the first time in two years, they had their missing teammates and they were finally right again. Or they would be as soon as Tony and Abby were back in Stillwater where they could get Ducky to take a look at them.  
  
  
He nodded to McGee and then the other man was climbing into the saddle behind Abby. He took the lead, Abby pointing the way for them. She said they had a hiding place they could go to, something Tony had found for them out of the way and where their horse was waiting. He wasn’t sure what they’d find when they got there, but Gibbs was willing to see it. The place was in the opposite direction of where they’d come in and Gibbs wanted to get some miles between them and the town before they stopped. If Abby was right, it was the perfect way to go. He just hoped Tony had found a good spot and it wasn’t just the only place he could find. If the place was well hidden, they might be able to let their friends take a full night’s sleep.  
  
There was no sign of pursuit as they moved through the woods and Gibbs wasn’t sure if it was their luck that they others had gone the other way or if no one would bother to look for them. The town didn’t take care of its own and he had no idea if they’d come after revenge.  
  
There was still no sign of pursuit when they reached the farmhouse and it was everything he’d expect of Tony. Off the main path and hidden by a dense ring of trees, unless you were looking for the way you’d never find it. Tony must have been looking desperately for something by the time the holed up there or he’d never have found it. When they got to the house Abby rushed inside with McGee barely managing to keep ahead of her just in case someone got in. Apparently, she’d left their horse behind and she was worried about Abraham.  
  
They’d been travelling all night and Gibbs was beat. So was McGee. The only saving grace was that they’d managed to remain unfound for the past twelve hours. With their new location, he figured they were safe to rest for the night so long as they made an early morning and got out quick.  
  
“Tony, time to find a bed.”  
  
Tony sat up then, his body still sluggish but Gibbs felt it was more from the crappy sleep and bad health than from the drugs. “Abby?”  
  
“She went to check on Abraham.”  
  
Tony gave a snort at that and the sound made something in Gibbs loosen up slightly. “Come on Tony. I’m gonna get down and then you can follow me. Show me where the hell we can get some shut eye around here.”  
  
Tony managed to get off the horse without falling and Gibbs counted that as a win. He was able to keep his legs under him but he wasn’t stable and Gibbs couldn’t help but walk with his hand on Tony’s lower back just in case he needed help. When they walked in Tony led him straight to one of the bedrooms. Gibbs tried to take in their surroundings, a nice one story ranch style house with large rooms and a big back yard he could see through the French doors at the back of the living room, but the more subtle details eluded him. He was too concentrated on Tony and he knew, as his eyes caught McGee’s in the hallway, that he wasn’t the only one having that problem.  
  
“I’ll get a fire started in the main room,” McGee said as he looked over at the stack of firewood next to the fireplace. “Abby said the bedrooms each have a fireplace too. She said Tony thought this place was a vacation home where someone came to get away from modern living.”  
Gibbs couldn’t help but let out a huff at that.  
  
“Yeah, I know. We got lucky with the warmer weather the last few days but the wind is picking up and it looks like rain might be coming in. I figure we better be ready for a storm tonight.”  
  
Gibbs nodded. “Let’s get fires in the bedrooms then. Get Abby and Tony settled first. I’ll bring in some firewood and you can take charge of the main room.”  
  
“On it.”  
  
He watched McGee turn into one of the other rooms and let out a deep breath as the soft murmur of Abby’s voice reached his ear. Gibbs turned away from the hallway then and took a few steps into the room, finding Tony already asleep under the covers of the bed.  
  
He sat down on the edge of the bed, determined to let his second in command sleep but his need to reassure himself was too strong. He reached a hand out and let the back of his knuckles trail across Tony’s face. The younger man sighed at his touch and Gibbs let out a deep breath, feeling some of the tension that had been riding him for the last two years leave his shoulders. Gibbs was optimistic about their chances of getting Tony and Abby to Stillwater, especially if it rained. With no sign of pursuit during the day, he figured their false trail had worked but they needed to keep vigilant and the rain would help keep them hidden. Tony was still mostly incapable of taking care of himself though and Abby needed McGee close so Gibbs decided he’d take the watch for the night. He’d wake McGee up in the early morning and get a few hours of sleep himself, but that was all he needed just yet. He wouldn’t sleep soundly until they hit Stillwater anyway.  
  
“Gonna see to the fire, Tony,” Gibbs said softly as he pulled his hand back. Tony’s face turned with him as if to find Gibbs’ hand again but Gibbs didn’t let himself stay where he was. He wanted nothing more than to lie down beside Tony, pull him into his arms, and keep him safe, but that wouldn’t actually make Tony safe and he had to fight the instinct. He needed to get Tony better, keep him warm and get him something more to eat than just what he could get him to swallow down on the trail. He needed to make sure that the people who’d held him weren’t coming looking for him.  
  
The final thought pushed him into action. He walked down the hall to the main room and found McGee with an armful of wood. He just nodded as he headed back to Abby’s room with the wood for her fireplace. Gibbs filled his own arms up, making sure he had a good variety of fast and slow burning woods to get Tony through the night.  
  
Once the fire was going, Gibbs found McGee in the kitchen. The fire in the main room was already burning and McGee was stirring something in a pot. “I’ll let you know when the food is ready Boss. Not much, but I figure Abby and Tony haven’t had much in the way of warm food in a while. Figure a stew would probably be good for Tony either way.”  
  
He knew what McGee was thinking about and Gibbs was worried too. If Tony had been giving Abby most of their food for a long while, they’d have to be careful of what they gave him until his stomach could handle something more substantial.  
  
“Thanks Tim,” he said as he started to walk to the back door.  
  
“I know I’m not bonded to him Gibbs, but he’s my best friend. No matter if Abby was out there or not, I still would have come looking for him.”  
  
Gibbs nodded. “That’s why I said thanks.”  
  
He went through the back door and was startled to see the horses back there. McGee had apparently moved them round back while he was up with Tony. Damn, he must have spent more time watching him than he’d realized. He shook his head and made his way to the wood pile. There was an empty box sitting beside the stack and he filled the box up. When he got inside he emptied it and made another trip out. He wanted to make sure they had plenty and that the wood had time to dry out from the moisture that was collecting in the air tonight before they needed to burn it.  
  
He checked on Tony then, just peeking into the room quickly, then went back out to the horses. He didn’t feel safe unsaddling them just yet but he did take them off and rub the horses down before putting the saddles back on, tying the reins back in a way that would allow the horses to graze on the grass and weeds that filled the yard. He found Abraham then and saw the saddle and gear that had been left close by under a plastic tarp against the weather. Gibbs approached the horse quietly, speaking to him in a gentle voice. The horse snickered at his approach but didn’t startle and he was able to give Abraham the same rub down as he checked the horse for injuries and health. When he was sure Abraham was in good shape, he saddled him too and headed back into the house.  
  
McGee was sitting by the window, looking out into the woods around them. Two years ago Gibbs would have thought he was catching McGee thinking about something else but he knew better now. Even if McGee had his mind elsewhere, his eyes were on the trees and anything that might indicate they’d been found.  
  
“I’ll take the watch tonight,” Gibbs said as he took a seat on the couch. “I’ll wake you early so I can catch a few, then weather permitting we’ll start the journey back.”  
  
McGee nodded but he didn’t turn around to look at Gibbs. “How is Tony?”  
  
“He’s weak but he’ll do what he has to.”  
  
“His lungs?”  
  
“That’s my main concern,” Gibbs allowed himself to admit. At least McGee had been through this with them before. “His body is weak from too little food and pushing himself too hard. With the drugs and the beating they gave him, I don’t know how he’s gonna take that.”  
  
“Ducky will know how to handle it.”  
  
There was a confidence in McGee’s voice and he was comforted by that. It wasn’t just faith in their doctor, but also a belief in Tony; that he’d get to Stillwater and he’d pull through like he had so many other times when the odds were stacked against him.  
  
“Yeah he will. How about Abs?”  
  
“Mostly, she’s just scared. She’s afraid she did the wrong things, afraid they’ll get caught again, afraid we’ll change our minds and decide she’s not worth keeping around because she’s a Dun.”  
  
Gibbs wanted to go in and shake her senseless, get that stupid idea out of her head before it could take hold, but he knew it wouldn’t help. The idea had been ingrained in her for the last two years. It was the same with Tony, the need to cover his markings and keep anyone from looking at him like that.  
  
“This gonna be a problem?” Gibbs asked softly. He didn’t know what to do to help Abby and Tony with that but Jimmy would be able to do something. Gibbs had to believe that. In the last two years he’d seen their autopsy gremlin step up to become a strong member of their team, no longer hiding in Ducky’s shadow but going above and beyond to help the members of their community adjust to the new world they’d been thrust into.  
  
“For now it’s an issue but I don’t think it will be in the long run. Abby’s always been different. In time, she’ll put it behind her.”  
  
Neither said anything about Tony. Tony, who loved to have everyone’s attention just so long as it wasn’t about anything real. Tony, who pushed the envelope about what people thought but never revealed his own thinking. Tony, who had tried to pull away from him to keep him from seeing the markings that, in Gibbs eyes, just made him beautiful. They showed the world a physical uniqueness to match the inner exceptionality that Tony had always had. Gibbs would make him see the truth in time. Just like the need to get Tony to Stillwater, he didn’t question it. He would do it. Even if he had to recite every damn fool line of every romantic movie he’d ever seen.

 

**

 

McGee watched the sun start to color the sky and took a deep breath. If he concentrated he could feel Abby in the back of his head, still sleeping under a mound of covers. He’d regretfully left her in the early hours of the morning when Gibbs had called for him to take watch. A few hours later and he could still feel the pull to be close to her. The bond between them was complete now and the extra awareness of Abby gave him a sense of peace he hadn’t expected. He could feel her love for him and he knew she could feel his. He didn’t know if that would help her come to realize that Tim didn’t care she was a Cloud-Deviant but only time would tell on that issue.  
  
He heard feet on the hallway floor and turned, expecting to see Gibbs. His eyes widened slightly as he found himself looking at Tony. “Morning,” he said softly.  
  
“Abby?”  
  
“Still asleep.” McGee felt a stab of pain at Tony’s first words. He was grateful that Tony had taken care of Abby but it hurt to see Tony so weak. He was almost swaying where he stood and yet his first thought was to worry about Abby. Tim had no doubt if Tony hadn’t been drugged, they’d still be seeing the usual Tony swagger – no matter how exhausted and sick he was – but the effects of the drugs had given them a crack into the real Tony and it was too hard for Tony to put his walls back up now. “You hungry?”  
  
McGee didn’t wait for Tony to answer, but moved away from the window and into the kitchen. He grabbed two bowls and filled them with the warm stew that he’d put over the fire a while ago. He put the bowls of stew and two mug of tea on the table and took a seat himself where he could see out the front windows and gave Tony a smile when the other man stared at him.  
  
“Come eat Tony. If you don’t, Gibbs is gonna kick my ass.”  
  
“Coffee?”  
  
Tim jumped slightly at the unexpected voice of his boss behind him. He hadn’t heard Gibbs coming down the hallway. “Tea,” he answered as he shook his head.  
  
Gibbs made a grunting sound but that was as much acknowledgment as anyone was gonna get out of him until he’d woken up a bit more. Gibbs busied himself in the kitchen and Tony buried his head in his food. Tim kept his eyes up though, watching Tony from the corner of his eyes. He’d never seen a Paint for more than a few seconds before. No one had come to Stillwater with that mutation and the few that had been on slaver trains were so closely guarded that you didn’t dare look too hard.  
  
He’d grown used to some of the changes the meteorite storm had brought. Like seeing Palmer with the black strip down his nose and the dark coloring around his neck and wrists. They had a handful of Roans too and he’d learned to see the beauty in the change of skin color that happened when light hit them the right way. Seeing Tony like this was something else. It made him want to reach out and touch, just to see if he could smear the lines and see the joke behind it. It wasn’t a joke though and he knew that of all the mutations that had happened that day, the Paints were the ones who had the hardest time. Paints seemed to have limitless power and came in all different varieties. No one would know what Tony could do and they would fear him on sight for that alone.  
  
He didn’t know how Stillwater would take to Tony but he knew that if the community didn’t accept him, Gibbs would walk away and find someplace safe. He wouldn’t be going alone if it came to that.  
  
Gibbs brought his bowl of stew over, sitting down his mug of tea as he joined them. Gibbs complained about the lack of coffee sometimes but he seemed to swallow down tea just as quickly as he ever did coffee.  
  
It was quiet for a few minutes, just the sounds of them eating until Tony finally broke the silence.  
  
“I’m sorry.”  
  
Tim’s brow furrowed at the words and he looked at Gibbs for some indication of what Tony was talking about. His boss was staring at Tony and Tim knew Gibbs didn’t know what Tony was talking about either.  
  
“I tried to keep her safe and healthy and I failed. I got captured twice and the first time Abby was caught with me.”  
  
“Don’t be stupid, Tony,” Tim said before he could sensor his words. He knew Tony but of all the things to come out of his mouth that morning, his self-blame was the last thing he’d been prepared for.  
  
Tony’s eyes shot up, the green of his iris a thin ring around the blacks. He was still dealing with the after effects of the drugs on an overtired, underfed body but Tony’s condition didn’t stop the anger that flared up in Tim. “A strong wind outside could blow you over Tony and not because of the drugs or your bruises.” He was trying hard not to notice those alongside everything else. The black eye was easy enough to look over, but for some reason the split lip was bothering the hell out of Tim. It wasn’t enough that they’d drugged him and planned to sell him to a slaver train, but they’d beat him in the street as well because he was trying to survive.  
  
“You gave everything you had to keep Abby safe and we all know it. She knows it Tony. She knows you were taking longer watches and letting her sleep more. She knows you were giving her the largest part of the rations. She knows that you did everything you could to protect her, including telling her to run so she wouldn’t be caught with you. You can pick it apart and analyze it and look at what you might have done wrong, but don’t tell me you failed Tony. Don’t tell me you failed when you’re barely strong enough to stand upright and Abby is safe with us again.”  
  
He felt Abby at the back of the room then, felt her tears as if they were his own, and he turned his head slightly to watch her run across the room and throw herself into Tony’s lap. DiNozzo barely had time to turn his chair and catch her, but he managed to wrap his arms around her and hold her close. He whispered into her ear and she sobbed softly into his chest and all McGee could think about was how many times Abby had clung to Tony like that, how many times Tony had pushed aside his own needs to take care of hers.  
  
When Abby’s tears stopped, she stayed where she was and Tony continued to run a soothing arm up and down her back. Gibbs got up at one point and took Tony’s bowl and refilled it. He got one for Abby too along with a drink before he settled again. Hunger eventually got the best of Abby and she pulled a chair right next to Tony and began picking at the food.  
  
He watched the way she ate the stew, saw the way she was eating the gravy and leaving the large chunks behind. He had a sickening understanding of what Tony had been doing the last two years and he didn’t know how to stop her from trying to reciprocate.  
  
“Abby, there’s plenty for both of you,” Gibbs told her.  
  
Tony’s spoon stopped moving and Abby looked up in surprise. Gibbs just nodded his reassurance. “There’s plenty.”  
  
Tim saw the set of Tony’s shoulders though and he knew there was gonna be trouble. He expected some sort of snide comment but he was surprised when Tony got up from the table and walked out of the room. The bedroom door shut firmly behind him as if challenging anyone to follow him. Tony should have known better, considering the crowd he was now with. Tim didn’t have a problem going to the door and knocking until Tony gave in but Gibbs was far more likely to just bust the damn thing down.  
  
Abby didn’t even look at the door though. It surprised him that she was willing to let Tony slink away like that without checking on him, but he knew they had all changed and he had no idea what the new dynamic between Abby and Tony was. And he was beginning to think he didn’t like it.  
  
Tim started to stand but Gibbs was up, a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve got this. I think Abby and Tony could use a little more rest before we head out. We’ll plan to head to Stillwater in the afternoon.”  
  
Tim nodded because that was all he had to give. When Gibbs left the room, he nudged Abby to eat more and tried to stop worrying about Tony so much. Gibbs had Tony and he was expecting Tim to take care of Abby.  
  
He just wished he had a clue how to do it.  
  
**  
  
Gibbs stepped into the bedroom and Tony was already under the covers, pretending sleep. He knew Tony and if he tried to start talking he’d just get shut out. Gibbs wasn’t much for these sort of talks but he expected to be heard when he started them damn it and it was too easy to let Tony rile him up and make him forget what he needed to say to him. He’d done it for years as they worked together and he knew he’d keep doing it if Gibbs didn’t stop him.  
  
Instead, he stripped out of his clothes and crawled into bed behind Tony. Tony’s shoulders stiffened as Gibbs pulled Tony’s body back against his chest but he didn’t try to pull away. It was a start anyway. They were both quiet but Gibbs was content, his nose pushed up into the nape of Tony’s neck where he could close his eyes and just breath Tony in. He had no idea what was going on in Tony’s head. He suspected his second in command was still going over the things he’d done with Abby, but he could just as easily be silently freaking out about Gibbs in his bed. It wasn’t like they’d had a relationship before the cloud hit.  
  
“It was the right thing to do.”  
  
Tony’s voice had that stubborn set to it as he broke the silence and Gibbs was already nodding in agreement. “I know.”  
  
“She was hiding me all the time. She couldn’t do that if she wasn’t eating and sleeping. When we were in the cages, at least we got our fill but the things they wanted me to do,” he shivered and Gibbs pulled him even closer, wrapping Tony up, hoping his strength would get Tony through what he needed to say. “I can make people relive their worst pain, Gibbs. I can make it echo in their heads until they pass out from the pain. I feel the pain too though. For a while there I was learning to control my powers. They had us in these damn cages and they … they said they’d hurt Abby if I didn’t play along so I did. I could tighten up the circle I was affecting, make it smaller or bigger but then … this guy was as bad as they come Gibbs. The things in his head made me sick and I lost control. I killed him. Pain so strong it stopped his heart but I couldn’t stop the backlash on everyone else and they all blacked out. Got a beating for it but I lost control after that. I couldn’t make it work again. And I knew, that time when I blacked out, I felt you too and I knew I’d hurt you. I refused after that and they were afraid to push me. We escaped not long after that and then Abby and I were running, picking up with any group that would take us closer to Stillwater. It took too long though and we finally decided to just go it on our own. It was working pretty well too but with the winter setting in I couldn’t trust we’d get to Stillwater before we ran out of supplies. That town was supposed to be our last stop.”  
  
“I know. You did what you had to Tony. No one blames you for that.”  
  
Tony turned over to look at him. “No, but they’ll hate me anyway. Because of this,” he said, pointing to his face.  
  
“Not in my town they won’t.” Gibbs brought his hand up to Tony’s face and let his fingers trace the line of Tony’s markings. He pressed his fingers against the two dots Abby had called his vampire bites. “You think I’ve been waiting for you because of how you look DiNozzo?” he demanded. Tony’s eyes widened. “Think McGee and I traveled out here because we thought how pretty you and Abby were? This doesn’t mean anything. It’s just wrapping and everyone knows the best part of the present is what’s inside.”  
  
There was a moment when he thought Tony was about to protest but then a flicker of something flashed in his eyes – something Gibbs could only define as Tony – and his second in command was relaxing into him, one hand coming up to rest on Gibbs’ hip. “You saying you want to unwrap me Boss?”  
  
The sly smile Tony gave him brought out a startled laugh and Gibbs brought his lips to Tony’s forehead. “Let’s get you healthy first Tony, and then we’ll see about unwrapping.”  
Tony settled against him then and Gibbs closed his eyes. “We’ll head out again in the afternoon. After you eat again.”  
  
Tony sighed but he burrowed closer. “I’ll try, but Gibbs that was more than I was used to eating in a day. I can’t … I’ll just get sick.”  
  
“Small meals Tony. Lots of small ones. We have plenty to get us to Stillwater though so don’t hold back if you’re hungry. I’ll trust you to eat Tony, but you’ve got to trust me too.”  
  
“You got it Boss.” Another small pause and then Tony was running his hand up and down Gibbs’ side. “You really think we’ll be safe in Stillwater?”  
  
“Tim and I have had two years to make a home for you and Abby. It’s safe.”  
  
He felt the whisper of lips against his neck and then Tony was turning over, back to Gibbs’ chest, and breathing already slowing to sleep. Gibbs held him tight and finally relaxed. McGee had the watch and Gibbs had Tony and for a few minutes he let himself be happy.  
  
**  
  
The journey to Stillwater was harder than Gibbs thought it would be. Tony was pressing on but his return to health was slower than Gibbs would like. Gibbs wanted to rush to Stillwater and get him to Ducky but he feared that pushing Tony too hard would only make him worse.  
  
Each day they got up and ate quickly before getting in the saddle. Tony and Abby rode Abraham together while McGee took the lead position and Gibbs the back. Three or four times a day Gibbs reminded Tony to eat something small and he usually listened, though as the days grew the stubborn set of Tony’s jaw returned and he was giving Gibbs more trouble. Tim and Tony were butting heads about Abby too who seemed lost in how to handle them. Guilt weighed on her and when Tony asked her to do something she did, without thought or question. Including not telling Gibbs when Tony had overeaten and gotten sick. They were still dealing with that between them but he kept a closer eye on Tony because of it. He’d expected him to get sick a few times but he didn’t expect him to force Abby to lie about it and with her guilt there was no denying that Tony’s slightest whim was an order to her.  
  
Stillwater would change that though, Gibbs was certain. Once they were safe and didn’t feel they had to rely on one another solely then they’d begin to recover.  
  
The morning Stillwater came into view Gibbs nearly shouted for joy. McGee was smiling like a loon though and Gibbs gave him an – albeit it smaller – genuine smile in return.  
  
“Sight for sore eyes, huh Boss?” They were walking, giving the horses a break over ground that Gibbs knew was soft and flat enough to keep Tony from tripping.  
  
Gibbs nodded his head but looked back over his shoulder as he heard McGee gasp. What he found, what had caused McGee’s soft gasp, was that Abby and Tony were looking at them apprehensively, their markings completely gone.  
  
“What the hell are you doing?” Gibbs demanded.  
  
“Gibbs, it’s not safe,” Abby said as she ducked her head under Tony’s arm and moved into his side. “I can do this.”  
  
“Abby, I know you can,” his voice was barely a whisper because of all the things he’d expected to see when they got to Stillwater he’d never expected Abby to feel the need to throw up protective illusions around herself and Tony.  
  
“You don’t have to.” McGee finished for him.  
  
“Gibbs you don’t know what they do to-”  
  
“I do Abby. We’ve got Duns and Roans in town. We’ve never seen a Paint but we’ve made it damn clear we won’t tolerate prejudice here.” Gibbs told her. He looked at Tony then, needing them to understand. “Tony, I told you it was safe.”  
  
He held his hand out and he was asking for so much more than Tony to take the steps and join him. He needed Tony to trust him, needed to know that Tony still knew he had his back. He needed Tony to be the strong, capable second he’d always been. More than that, he needed Tony to be with him, to trust him to keep Tony safe even when Tony doubted himself.  
  
He could feel the turmoil building in Tony as he looked over at Abby and then back to Gibbs. When he stepped forward he took Gibbs hand. “Abby, we have to give it a try.”  
  
“But Tony, if they-“  
  
He looked back at her, his cocky smile in place. “Nothing is going to happen to you Abby. You think McGeek will let it?”  
  
McGee was at her side then and Abby took a deep breath. Tony nodded at her and she closed her eyes. A moment later the markings were back and Gibbs was surprised at how familiar they’d become to him already.  
  
“Let’s go. We weren’t the only ones in Stillwater waiting for you.”  
  
With that they remounted the horses and began the final ride down into Stillwater.  
  
The gates to the settlement were already open as the afternoon traffic moved in and out. Most people gave them a wide berth but some called out their names and McGee waved back to them. When one of the boys came running forward McGee sent him running back with orders to tell Ducky they were home.  
  
They rode to the center of town before they dismounted and handed the horses off to the stable hands. Abby was reluctant to let Abraham out of her sight but McGee assured her that the horses were well kept and she could visit as soon as they had her checked out.  
  
“Gibbs, my friend, it looks like you finally managed to bring back something worth keeping.”  
  
They all turned to see Ducky and Jimmy coming out of the medical facility at the center of town. Just where Gibbs knew they’d be.  
  
“Ducky, looks like we found two new patients for you.”  
  
Abby threw herself at Ducky and Gibbs watched as Jimmy eyed Tony for a minute before coming forward and saying hello. He wasn’t sure what Jimmy was looking at, the markings, the emotions, or the general state of Tony’s health but his smile was as honest as ever and Tony seemed to respond to that.  
  
A moment later Ducky was herding them all into the medical facility and McGee was left to stand watch outside. Just in case.  
  
**  
  
Ducky’s prognosis was what they expected. Abby and Tony were both exhausted and underfed. Abby was a slight case but Tony was put under a strict regimen of small meals and doctor ordered naps since Ducky knew Tony would ignore bed rest. The beating Tony received at the hands of the last townspeople had left bruises but nothing more serious. His black eye was gone already and his lip was healed.  
  
McGee seemed to relax after Ducky brought them back out and Gibbs knew he was feeling better just having the two in Stillwater.  
  
**  
  
Abby bit her bottom lip as the little girl stared at her and Tony could understand the feeling. He didn’t like anyone seeing his markings but Gibbs was pretty explicit about keeping Tony from covering them up. It wasn’t like he wanted to burden Abby more than he had and Ducky had just ordered them to lay off the powers that afternoon until they were fully rested. It was hard to let everyone see what he was. He knew Gibbs had faith in his community and he didn’t want to be the reason that was destroyed.  
  
The little girl came over to sit across from them and Abby’s eyes widened as the little girl smiled at her. “I’m Lila. Miss Gail, my teacher, she says it’s rude to stare but you’re pretty.”  
Abby’s eyes teared up and Tony could see her fighting the emotional display. He held his hand out and smiled his best smile for the girl, hoping not to scare her. “I’m Tony and this is my friend Abby.”  
  
“Oh, you belong to Mister Gibbs and Timmy!” She sounded so excited about meeting them and Tony was a little worried about what was being said. Before he could say anything though she leaned across the table. “Don’t tell my Mom I called him Timmy though. She says I have to call him Mister McGee but he said it was okay and I think he likes me. I’m going to grow up and be just like him. He’s smart and nice and funny and Mommy says very loyal but I don’t know what that means except when she says it she always seems kind of sad. I saw Timmy today though - remember, don’t tell my mom – and he was smiling really big today. I even saw Mister Gibbs smile today and I’ve never seen him smile before. Mom says it’s because you’re home and I hope you don’t go away again because Mister Gibbs is really nice to us at school even if he is kinda crabby to the ‘dults.”  
  
Abby laughed at that and Lila smiled up at her. “Jimmy says if you’re a Dun you have special powers. He can help people when they hurt their feelings. What can you do?”  
  
Abby looked startled for a minute and Tony was frozen. He had no plans of ever telling anyone what he could do and he had no idea how to say that to this little girl. She seemed mostly interested in Abby though and when Abby let out a deep breath the girl was waiting.  
  
“I … um … I can make people see things.”  
  
“Oh, like in the Last Unicorn where the sorcerer makes them see Robin Hood? Can you do that?”  
  
“I guess I could.”  
  
“Can you come to my classroom? I have the prettiest book and I bet you could make all the pictures be funny.” She got up from where she’d been sitting and grabbed Abby’s hand. Abby looked up at Tony but then she was being pulled and she went with the girl. McGee was across the room and he watched them walking out. He smiled a second later and followed after Abby.  
  
“They’ve got their hands full with that one,” Gibbs said as he sat down beside Tony.  
  
“Abby?”  
  
“Lila. She took a shine to McGee when they first got here and she hasn’t stopped. Follows him around whenever she can. McGee needed someone to look out for and her mom’s got her hands busy with two others. She and Abby will get along just fine.”  
  
Tony nodded but didn’t feel like talking. He knew Abby would be okay once they found someplace safe. He just didn’t expect her to leave him so soon.  
  
“Come on. Let’s get home and I can show you the place.”  
  
“Home?”  
  
“Well you didn’t expect me to put you in a hotel did you? I told you we had a place for you.”  
  
Tony nodded because he didn’t have anything else to say. Yeah, he’d expected Gibbs and McGee to accept them back once they got past the idea that they were Cloud-Deviants but he hadn’t expected anything like this. In the two years he and Abby had been traveling they’d never come across a town that took care of its people. Sure, some of the traveling caravans they’d met up with took care of you and they’d heard rumors of places, but you only got to tag along if you could provide a resource they needed. He had no idea how Gibbs and McGee had managed to do it with a whole town. And he wasn’t kidding himself that it wasn’t them. He watched the way people responded to the two of them and there was no doubt about who ran the town.  
  
Gibbs led him down the main street to Jackson’s house and Tony was surprised that the older Gibbs wasn’t there. When he asked he was told that Jackson was busy at the town center. Apparently Jackson Gibbs was a combination judge and magistrate in town, keeping things in line when his son and McGee were out. That, Tony could accept. What he was having a hard time accepting was the additions to the Gibbs house. It had been a modest home when Tony had been there the first time with a large yard out back and plenty of room for two grown men to move about. It had apparently grown.  
  
“Couldn’t very well move us all into Dad’s house as it was,” Gibbs said as he walked them through the front door. The front of the house hadn’t changed at all but there was an air of use to the front sitting room, blankets not quite straight on the back of the couch and chairs and stacks of books piled haphazardly on table edges as if the reader had just walked away and knew their place would be waiting when they returned. He remembered the feeling of warmth he got in the house and was a little concerned about what was happening at the back. Gibbs walked him down the hallway though and a door opened where none had been before. When Gibbs opened the door, Tony was surprised to find himself in a large open living area. Instead of walled off rooms there was an office, a small kitchenette, a dining area, and the living area all nestled up against each other. To the back right were two doors and a door opened up to a stairway to a second floor.  
  
“Full kitchen and everything upstairs. That’s McGee’s place. I figured once he found Abby it would only be a matter of time before they started a family. They’ll need some space for that.” Gibbs pushed open the first door and there was a bathroom there. The door to the right opened up into a large master bedroom.  
  
Tony understood the implication of the bond, knew how he felt each and every time Gibbs had touched him since he’d been changed, but seeing the large bed in the middle of the room made him take a step back. That didn’t help because Gibbs was right behind him.  
  
“One bed?” Tony asked.  
  
“That a problem?”  
  
There was no hesitance in Gibbs’ voice and it made Tony turn around to look at him. “Would figure it was for you.”  
  
“I’ve got nothing but time here Tony. No place to be and nowhere to run so you flip out if you need to. I’ll still be here when you’re done.”  
  
“You think I’m gonna flip out?”  
  
“Feels like it to me.”  
  
There was something about Gibbs being so sure that Tony would be the one to have problems with this that he needed to show Gibbs just how much he wanted to be in bed with him. Tony had never had trouble with that aspect of his feelings for Gibbs. Since the day he’d met Gibbs he wanted to impress the man, to make him look back at that day and be proud that he’d taken Tony from Baltimore to be a part of his team. The day the change had happened and he’d felt himself bonding, even partially, with Gibbs he’d known what would happen to them. He wasn’t running or fighting the bond. He wanted Gibbs more than he’d ever wanted anyone.  
  
“I think you’ve got your wires crossed then,” Tony said as he pressed in closer to Gibbs. Their chests pushed together and Gibbs’ hand came up to the back of Tony’s neck. When Gibbs pulled him in Tony didn’t hesitate. The first press of Gibbs’ mouth against his was so different than he’d ever expected. It was hard and demanding – that part he expected – but as Tony opened up to Gibbs, the kiss turned into something else, something vulnerable and soft.  
  
When Gibbs pulled the shirt over Tony’s head he couldn’t help but try to turn slightly to keep his markings from showing. Gibbs stopped him, pulling their lips back together and making Tony forget all about the markings. When he finally pulled back Gibbs was working his pants open. Tony helped him and then they were pushing and pulling at one another to lose their clothes and Gibbs was pushing him down onto the center of the bed.  
  
Tony’s breath caught when he realized Gibbs was trailing his fingers over the edge of his markings but the look in Gibbs’ eyes was something almost reverent.  
  
“I’ve needed you for so long, Tony,” Gibbs said softly. “Every time something changes in my life, you’re there to steady me. Even with this I could feel you out there, mooring me to shore.”  
  
“I’m never going to be the man I was Gibbs,” Tony said softly. He wanted this more than anything but Gibbs needed to know who he was and what he was getting himself into now. “I’m not going to be able to use my abilities to help out around the town. I’m … I’m useless.”  
  
He felt the head slap and was stunned by it. Gibbs’ eyes were wide for a second and it felt like he was just as surprised by the action as Tony was. It didn’t deter Gibbs though. “You were a damn fine cop when you were in Baltimore and a hell of an agent for NCIS. You did all that before there was ever a marking on you. We need every able body we can find to keep this community afloat so you hear me good Tony. You have more to give than this town will know what to do with. I won’t hear anyone talk bad about a Cloud-Deviant in my home, let alone a Cloud-Deviant. You got me?”  
  
“Yeah, yeah Boss. I got you.”  
  
“Good. Because I’ve got you now Tony. Nothing bad is gonna happen to you ever again.” He crushed his lips to Tony’s and Tony lost himself in that promise. He lost himself in Gibbs’ gentle touch and the press of fingers against his brown and white skin. He lost himself in the bond and in Gibbs and in the hope that he was finally safe and home.

 

**

 

Gibbs stared across the way and watched as Abby wrapped her arms around McGee’s shoulders. Two days gone and Abby was acting like he’d been gone two months. Not that he blamed her. On the rare occasions he’d had to leave Tony behind his lover had waited for him in their bedroom because he said he wasn’t sure he could be trusted in public at that point. It had been years since Gibbs had wanted to rush home because of the person he had waiting – since Shannon if he was honest with himself – and he welcomed the feeling again. Luckily, Tony was rarely away from Gibbs’ side though. McGee was being kept busier in the community and Tony was going out into the field with Gibbs. It’d taken time for everyone to feel comfortable with that. Not everyone welcomed a Paint into the community, but they’d been civil about their fears at least. It wasn’t prejudice that stood in Tony’s way of leaving for hunts and foraging trips with Gibbs now though, but rather the protective nature of the community that did. No one wanted to see Tony hurt. In the end, even the people that didn’t know what to do with a Paint were won over by Tony’s personality and charm, and they’d all been adamant about wanting to keep Tony safe.  
  
They rarely met others when they were out scavenging and hunting though and Abby had come up with a mask that Tony could wear that would cover his face and he had a number of jackets with thick hoods that covered him when they were away from Stillwater.  
  
The sun was just starting to go down and Abby made her way over to Gibbs and kissed his cheek lightly. “We thought you were going to miss it!”  
  
Gibbs laughed as he looked at the community center – turned movie theater for the night. “Nothing would have kept Tony from Friday night movie night.”  
  
Abby laughed but was called away before she could say anything else.  
  
Gibbs shook his head as he leaned back against the back wall. His father and Ducky were up at the front of the hall, sitting beside one another and enjoying a night out. It was all Tony’s idea, a way of bringing the community together for something besides work. Since Friday Night Movie Nights had started the entire community had come together for them. Some nights, Tony would sit around for hours after, debating the merits of the movie, the actors, and the directors. They’d have week-long debates that would just start up again the next Friday with a new movie.  
  
What surprised Gibbs the most about the changes he’d seen since Tony had come to their community was the way people touched Tony now. It wasn’t all the time and it wasn’t obvious but Tony had become a good luck symbol to the town.  
  
He watched as Tony made his way to the front of the hall, talking to Jimmy and one of the new girls who’d arrived in town just last week. As Tony said his good-byes, the girl touched her hand to his arm where the brown markings showed. He didn’t hide his coloring like he used to and Gibbs prided himself with that accomplishment. It was such a small part of how far Tony had come to accept what he was but Gibbs knew his handy work.  
  
Tony made his rounds and it wasn’t until the lights dimmed that he looked up to see Gibbs by the wall. Tony smiled over at him and he made his way past the people, some who stopped to thank him for the movies and who gratefully touched his markings. When he was at Gibbs’ side he pulled up close, pressing his lips to the underside of Gibbs’ jaw.  
  
There were a lot of other changes Gibbs liked too. Like how affectionate Tony could be and how carefree he was when it was time to let their hair down. The movie was about to start and Tony pulled Gibbs with him to find their seats. He sat back in an old couch that had been pulled into the hall to help fill the seating and looked over to see Abby and McGee next to them. Gibbs wrapped his arm around Tony’s shoulder and Tony settled into him with a soft sigh as the movie previews began.  
  
He didn’t know what the movie was about. He never remembered much of the details, except for the way Tony felt in his arms. He remembered Tony’s laughter and the way McGee leaned over to start a mock debate about one of Tony’s favorite actors. He remembered the way Abby crawled into McGee’s lap and rested her head against his chest, white stripe standing out in the darkened room, but with not a care in the world.  
  
He pressed his lips to Tony’s temple and was rewarded with Tony’s lips a moment later and they both forgot about the movie for a while.  
  
When he thought back about it all, it wasn’t the cloud that filled his mind or the pain and terror that had changed the world. It wasn’t the times he’d sat on the wall watching for the people he loved to come home. What stood out the most were the moments of community they shared, the love that flowed through them as they helped one another in the strange new world they’d found themselves in. They were teammates become lifelines become something stronger, something necessary. They were family and no matter what the world threw at them next, they’d get by. They had something to fight for.  
  
Tony looked up at him as they parted and his smile was everything Gibbs could want. It was something to fight for when the time were bad and even more, something to hold onto when the times were good. It was more than he’d ever thought he’d have, all because of a damn cloud and a Paint. He smiled back at Tony and couldn’t stop even when his lover turned his attention back to the big screen McGee had rigged up.  
  
Jackson had told him once that time was measured in minutes but life was measured in moments. He hadn’t understood what he was trying to say but now, with his friends and family at his side, he knew. Moments like this made it all worthwhile.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the ncis_bigbang over on live journal. Beta by the ever amazing smidgeson. All mistakes are mine. This was my first long NCIS fic and it was a great challenge! And please leave some amazing feedback for my artist! She did some amazing work on this and I still look at it and flip out! *hugs* She had to be out of town today so if she decides to put up a master art page I will post with it! Hope you enjoy!


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